Oil! Paperback – December 18, 2007

Sinclair's writing style is gregarious, repetitive. He hits you on the head with the 'poor working class stiff' schtick, but if you can get past it, what he's describing is actually quite interesting. Sinclair's book is a worthwhile read not only for its striking similarities to our own times, which many people have already stated. But his depictions of the early 20th century in southern California, the social mores, the living conditions, the locations -- are all his images, as he experienced them, or imagined them. They may not have been 'real' but they are certainly what we no longer experience. Los Angeles and Long Beach with derricks, dirt road travelling, working class lives, oak forests in places no longer existant, oil derrick explosions. It was incredibly interesting to read Sinclair's version of how derricks were built, maintained, and occasionally destroyed. Highly recommended for California early 20th century history buffs.

A pleasure to read, hard to take as it traces social-political conflicts in early Los Angeles. It’s very long, and relentlessly realistic, so often had to put it down for a breather. Both muck-raking and satirical, nobody is perfectly good or evil, the protagonists don’t get a break, and the villains don’t get redeemed. Recommended.

great price. great quality.

Upton Sinclair, 1878-1968, was a prolific and controversial writer, most often thought of as a muckraker and social activist. He often used the novel with heavily researched factual information as its backdrop to espouse his socialist beliefs. He wrote nearly one hundred books, the most famous probably being THE JUNGLE, first published in 1906. I was fascinated by his accounts of the meatpacking industry and living conditions in Chicago at that time and have used that information many times to shock listeners and readers into being more careful about their view of American institutions and politics.In his 1927 fictional account of the oil industry in California, aptly entitled OIL!, he relies heavily on his socialistic convictions in detailing the petroleum industry, its corrupt leaders, exploitation of workers, and political corruption. In fact I found these topics heavily overshadowing the pioneering achievements of the oil industry, thus creating a distraction for one who wanted to read about the actual exploration, drilling procedures, production, and marketing of petroleum in an industry into which I was born. Indeed I considered the award-winning movie "There Will Be Blood", reportedly loosely based on this book, to be a history of my grandfather's life in oil-rich California's Kern County, although hopefully he wasn't involved in the horrific violence and mayhem portrayed by Hollywood. I say loosely based because I didn't see much of the movie's premise in the book.A father and son have a divisive relationship of finding and developing oil in a partnership that seems almost bogus on its face. There's the old school oilman, once a mule skinner, who is relentless in his drive to increase the size of his black gold fortune. The son, spoiled by his easy access to the profits, adopts fervor for the socialistic movement of the early 1920s, and is a constant threat to the economic welfare of the industry that funds his playboy life. The father not only accepts the son's activity but almost seems to get enjoyment from it. Sinclair promotes the ideals of socialism versus the evils of communism throughout the book. In fact, the reader is indoctrinated thoroughly about the two concepts as well as the efforts to introduce both ideologies into America. Sinclair also took the opportunity to inject his interest in the occult and telepathy into the story's pages. If these subjects reflect your interest, this is a fine book. If, however, you want to learn more about the oil industry, I suggest you look elsewhere.The author was described by Time magazine as "a man with every gift except humor and silence." There were attempts at humor in this book but, when recognized, were scarcely humorous. And he was anything but silent. His writing was wordy, dated, much too flowery, and obsessed with off topic information. If you like controversial political idealism, you might enjoy the book. If your interest is more industry oriented, you'll probably want to look elsewhere.Schuyler T WallaceAuthor of TIN LIZARD TALES

This is a great fictional story based on the real life of Edward Doheny, who was from my home town of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Doheny was a larger than life character and is well known in California.I somehow missed reading any of Upton Sinclair's work over the years and now I know what I have missed. This is a fast moving story that tells of the early years, and greed, of the oil industry. Sinclair's descriptions are so real that I can smell the orange groves and the oil from a gusher and his characters are portrayed as real people. This is a very informative and enjoyable read. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the history of the oil industry in California.

Cover good, print good. Nice to be able to read old books.

Ho acquistato questo libro come regalo per il mio ragazzo. "Il Petroliere", tratto proprio da questo, è il suo film preferito e il suo feedback dopo la lettura è stato al pari del film.

Great story.

Upton Sinclair (1878 - 1968) ist den meisten - wenn überhaupt - durch "Der Dschungel" bekannt. Er war ein hervorragender Sozialkritker des US amerikanischen Staates und Gesellschaftssystems. Leider ist die Verfilmung weit weg von der Qualität und der Story des Buches. Sehr lesenswert... Außerdem zu empfehlen von ihm "The Carpenter".

Buscaba una versión hardcover, pero este formato fue más práctico para la persona a quien se lo regale. Librazo.