Classic Fiction Lovers of DC

Known as the book that turned millions of high school students off hot dogs, "The Jungle" was originally published in the socialist newspaper "Appeal to Reason" after muckraking journalist Upton Sinclair spent seven weeks working incognito in Chicago's infamous meatpacking plants. A realistic depiction of the struggles and harsh conditions of plan workers and the corruption of powerful people in charge, the descriptions of health issues and unsanitary practices prompted the passage of sanitary reforms such as the Meat Inspection Act. Sadly, the concerns of the book feel increasingly relevant today.

This 1962 historical fiction novel, about the life and last days of the titular Artemio Cruz, is considered a milestone of the Latin American Boom that brought us writers such as Mario Vargas Llosa and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It explores the corruption of Cruz, a former soldier in the Mexican Revolution, by power. Interestingly, the structure of the book is heavily influenced by "Citizen Kane," with Fuentes attempting literary versions of such film techniques as cross-cutting, closeups, and deep focus.