Review: THE JUNGLE, adapted and illustrated by Kristina Gehrmann

THE JUNGLE, adapted and illustrated by Kristina Gehrmann

You may recall The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, from high school or college and it having to do with exposing the corruption in the meatpacking industry. Well, it exposed that and much more and remains quite relevant. The Jungle finds a whole new life, and a new way to reach audiences, with the new graphic novel adaptation by Kristina Gehrmann, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

This is the story of Jurgis and his fiancée Ona and the Rudkus and Lukozaite families, ten in all. They are bright-eyed Lithuanian imigrants looking forward to a new start in the United States, beginning with their arrival at Ellis Island in 1899. The story only progresses for a few years but much transpires as everyone is in for one rude awakening after another. America may be known as a melting pot and immigrants may have been acknowledged as having helped to make America great. But at what cost to the naive, vulnerable and poor? That question is at the heart of the novel.

A relationship at the breaking point.

The original 1906 novel’s exposé of the dangerous practices in slaughterhouses led to actual reform. However, other issues the novel addresses, such as fair housing, immigration, worker’s rights and sexual assault, would not be so readily addressed at the start of the 20th century. Due to Gehrmann’s compelling adaptation and artwork, the old becomes fresh, open for rediscovery and new discussion. Gehrmann combines a cartoony style with realistic touches, along with a Manga-like energy that keeps the narrative moving at a contemporary pace. The reader immediately relates with Jurgis and Ona, a struggling young couple trying to prosper but often just barely surviving. It gradually becomes a relationship at the breaking point. In the Sinclair novel, that was drama to keep a book with a socialist message moving along but, in the graphic novel, it is given an added dimension that will appeal to today’s reader.

The original novel by Upton Sinclair remains a powerful rebuke of those in power who would prey upon the weak. Kristina Gehrmann’s graphic novel adaptation provides an essential gateway to the revered classic and is a remarkable work in its own right. Disillusioned with the novel’s impact, Upton Sinclair famously said, “I aimed at the public’s heart, and by accident hit it in the stomach.” This graphic novel helps to bring out to new readers the greater socialist themes found in Upton Sinclair’s original novel. This is a high accessible work that retains the power of the original novel while inviting a contemporary eye.

The Jungle, the new adaptation by Kristina Gehrmann, is a 384-page trade paperback, fully illustrated duotone graphic novel, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.