The Jungle: A Signature Performance by Casey Affleck Audiobook By Upton Sinclair cover art

The Jungle: A Signature Performance by Casey Affleck

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The Jungle: A Signature Performance by Casey Affleck

By: Upton Sinclair
Narrated by: Casey Affleck
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Upton Sinclair's The Jungle is a visceral and tragic story of immigrants trying to scratch out a living in the meatpacking plants of Chicago. The resulting public outcry led directly to the US government enacting changes in food and workplace safety practices still in place today.

With food production, business ethics, and immigration back in the news, Academy Award nominee Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone) taps into the emotion behind these issues to breathe life back into the struggling inhabitants of Packingtown. Affleck, a committed vegan and animal rights spokesman, delivers a moving performance that connects with the book’s enduring legacy.

The Jungle revolves around the life and family of Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant whose dreams of a better life are crushed by punishing work in gruesome stockyards and an unforgiving city. Brilliantly written and vividly described, it provides a poignant and incredibly detailed snapshot of a striking point in American history.

Listen to more Audible Signature Classics.Public Domain (P)2010 Audible, Inc Classics Family Life Genre Fiction Fiction Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt Tearjerking Chicago American History American Literature

Editorial reviews

Originally best known as Ben Affleck's little brother, Casey Affleck has firmly established himself as a talented actor in his own right. Roles in the Ocean's Eleven trilogy and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award), have made their critical mark in Hollywood. In his Signature Performance of Upton Sinclair's classic The Jungle, Affleck's diverse family ancestry (English, Irish, French, Swedish, German, and Scottish) is on display in his command of the multifarious languages of immigrants in early-1900s Chicago. In his distinctive boyish timbre, he even pronounces Lithuanian like a native.
Powerful Classic • Eye-opening Story • Excellent Accent Handling • Endearing Protagonist • Compelling Tale
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Great story, but much better read off a page then to listen to Casey Affleck. I could barely stand to listen to his whiney teenager sounding voice. Glad I got this on sale because it is still not worth what I paid. If another version is released it should be given for free to all who bought this one.

Great book awful narration

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it took a few chapters to get used to Casey's style of narration. it grew on me eventually. the story is so incredibly sad. tragic is an understatement.

might be the saddest story ive ever heard

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Somehow I have never read this book. I was amazed! Casey Affleck did a terrific job reading it.

Excellent!

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The book is so powerful that it left me breathless despite the poor narration. I have no idea how I missed reading this earlier in my life. I am so disappointed with so much of current writing I browse classics constantly looking for what I have missed and yet believe has stood the test of time. If you are doing the same, you've hit a home run in listening to Sinclair. Take a few minutes first and check out a few other narrations. Then join me at a meeting of local Socialists.

Extraordinary!....except for Affleck

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This is truly a classic and a compelling tale, well worth reading. Unfortunately, The Jungle is ruined by Casey Affleck's sub-par narrating. Affleck's narration has a drawn-out, unrehearsed cadence of one who is reading a children's story to a particularly slow witted child.

Why is Casey Affleck narrating a book of this caliber in the first place ? He does not have a particularly good voice and like I said, his reading of The Jungle is underwhelming. I do not know what he is like as an actor, but he really disappoints here.

I would not rate this book as a waste of a credit -the story is engaging, it is just a bit of a disappointment with Affleck at the helm.

If Affleck was reading "Green Eggs and Ham" I am sure he would shine.

Great book ruined by poor narrator....

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This is a classic I always wanted to find the time to read. I jumped at the chance when I saw it featured on Audible. Unfortunately, it was difficult to appreciate Sinclair's timeless tale when narrated by Casey Affleck.
He had virtually no inflection and often sounded like he had a mouthful of saliva--the ending of words were difficult to discern in his coarse pronunciation.
I've listened to countless audio books over the years and there are so many good narrators out there practicing this craft, I fault the producers of this version for choosing an actor name over a quality reader.
Since the Lithuanian accent was so crucial to this story, why not use a narrator who has some understanding of this dialect?
Very disappointing recording.

Why, oh why, Casey Affleck?!?...

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Nobody had ever told me that this is a story about a family of Lithuanian immigrants who settled in the Midwest. That theme rather completes the thread of our history depicted by Willa Cather. The novel is not so many scenes in a meat factory as represented. As for Affleck's narration, I got used to it, he gets better, and it may not be totally inappropriate.

More than a story about meatpacking.

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Excellent! I really enjoyed listening to this book. Casey did an excellent performance. I am going to recommend this audio book to my friends and family.

A Book Everyone Should Listen Too!

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Would you listen to The Jungle: A Signature Performance by Casey Affleck again? Why?

Probably wouldn't listen to this again simply because of the narration. However, I don't find this to be a story in which you'll wish to get lost over and over regardless. There was an initial shock factor during a first reading; hearing of the disgusting practices and horrid conditions wouldn't have the same impact upon further readings.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Immediately upon starting this book, I had to pause and check who the narrator was. Casey Affleck's voice is so uninterested and monotonous it sounded as though he were about to fall asleep...I understand he was chosen due to his ability to pronounce different languages well, but even at those points I found it distracting how he would hesitate and slow down. Unfortunately his reading was one of the most unpleasant parts of listening to this book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

The first 2/3 of this book were much more enthralling for me and I could have easily sat through much of that in one sitting. The last bit, however, I found myself picking at in small bits until it was finally over.

Any additional comments?

Overall, a great book with many eye-opening pictures of immigrant life, the meat-packing industry, and workplace cruelty in general. A solid story that didn't linger too long in any one place and kept a wonderful pace. Would recommend!

Insightful Immigrant Story with a Droning Narrator

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This book can be a bit heavy, but Casey gave it a bit of character without emoting overly much. But it is still a sad taleof lies, cheats, predation and graft, sort of like the politics of America at this time.

Casey does a great job to bring excitement

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