A novel that has remained controversial since its writing, The Jungle is a brutal and unflinching look at the struggles of a turn-of-the-century immigrant family. The book is best remembered for its horrifying depiction of the meat-packing industry, but the book offers more than just those stomach-churning details. It is a heartbreaking view of life on the bottom of the industrial ladder, and a sensational warning against the worst abuses of industry run rampant.