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King Coal – a Novel cover

King Coal – a Novel

Upton SinclairNov 2015

3.8
Word count
150K words
Chapters
126
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Tags

Motivation and Growth Coal MinersSocial JusticeIndustrialistGrassroots PortraitsClass ConflictSocial CritiqueRealism

Summary

Upton Sinclair is one of the not too many writers who have consecrated their lives to the agitation for social justice, and who have also enrolled their art in the service of a set purpose. A great and non-temporizing enthusiast, he never flinched from making sacrifices. Now and then he attained great material successes as a writer, but invariably he invested and lost his earnings in enterprises by which he had hoped to ward off injustice and to further human happiness. Though disappointed time after time, he never lost faith nor courage to start again. As a convinced socialist and eager advocate of unpopular doctrines, as an exposer of social conditions that would otherwise be screened away from the public eye, the most influential journals of his country were as a rule arraigned against him. Though always a poor man, though never willing to grant to publishers the concessions essential

Editor's review

King Coal – a Novel is Upton Sinclair's follow-up to The Jungle, turning his social critique toward the coal mines of Colorado. The novel follows a young protagonist who goes into the mining district and lives among the miners, weaving labor conditions, the logic of capital, and media manipulation into a single narrative frame; it reads with the immediacy of an investigative report and the tension of a driven plot. Sinclair's method is direct and purposeful, and his characters are often types, but precisely this unwillingness to hide his stance lets readers quickly grasp the hardships and demands of the American labor movement in the early twentieth century. For readers interested in social fiction, journalistic writing, and the history of the American Progressive Era, this book offers a distinctive entry point between literature and historical source; those seeking only light storytelling may find the argumentation heavy.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers concerned with social justice and labor issues who want to enter the historical scene through literature
  • Students and enthusiasts studying the American Progressive Era or Sinclair's development as a writer
  • Readers who enjoy realistic fiction with an investigative-reporting quality and a clear stance
  • General readers seeking background on the early twentieth-century coal industry and labor-capital conflict

Not a good fit for

  • Readers seeking pure entertainment who prefer to avoid extensive social commentary
  • Literary readers who favor finely drawn psychology and restrained, subtle narration
  • Those with little interest in historical context who want only fast-paced plotting

Reading tips

  1. Read the preface or learn about the Colorado coal strikes first, then enter the text to better follow the lines of conflict.
  2. Read the novel alongside Sinclair's The Jungle and observe how he uses different industries to approach the same social critique.
  3. Note how the protagonist's changing identity shifts the perspective, and consider how the author arranges witnesses and participants.
  4. Slow down at passages of argument and distinguish literary description from the author's directly stated views.

Contents

  1. Copyright information
  2. INTRODUCTION
  3. BOOK ONE
  4. SECTION 1.
  5. SECTION 2.
  6. SECTION 3.
  7. SECTION 4.
  8. SECTION 5.
  9. SECTION 6.
  10. SECTION 7.
  11. SECTION 8.
  12. SECTION 9.
  13. SECTION 10.
  14. SECTION 11.
  15. SECTION 12.
  16. SECTION 13.
  17. SECTION 14.
  18. SECTION 15.
  19. SECTION 16.
  20. SECTION 17.
  21. SECTION 18.
  22. SECTION 19.
  23. SECTION 20.
  24. SECTION 21.
  25. SECTION 22.
  26. SECTION 23.
  27. SECTION 24.
  28. SECTION 25.
  29. SECTION 26.
  30. SECTION 27.
  31. SECTION 28.
  32. SECTION 29.
  33. BOOK TWO
  34. SECTION 1.
  35. SECTION 2.
  36. SECTION 3.
  37. SECTION 4.
  38. SECTION 5.
  39. SECTION 6.
  40. SECTION 7.
  41. SECTION 8.
  42. SECTION 9.
  43. SECTION 10.
  44. SECTION 11.
  45. SECTION 12.
  46. SECTION 13.
  47. SECTION 14.
  48. SECTION 15.
  49. SECTION 16.
  50. SECTION 17.
  51. SECTION 18.
  52. SECTION 19.
  53. SECTION 20.
  54. SECTION 21.
  55. SECTION 22.
  56. SECTION 23.
  57. SECTION 24.
  58. SECTION 25.
  59. SECTION 26.
  60. SECTION 27.
  61. SECTION 28.
  62. SECTION 29.
  63. SECTION 30.
  64. SECTION 31.
  65. SECTION 32.
  66. SECTION 33.
  67. SECTION 34.
  68. BOOK THREE
  69. SECTION 1.
  70. SECTION 2.
  71. SECTION 3.
  72. SECTION 4.
  73. SECTION 5.
  74. SECTION 6.
  75. SECTION 7.
  76. SECTION 8.
  77. SECTION 9.
  78. SECTION 10.
  79. SECTION 11.
  80. SECTION 12.
  81. SECTION 13.
  82. SECTION 14.
  83. SECTION 15.
  84. SECTION 16.
  85. SECTION 17.
  86. SECTION 18.
  87. SECTION 19.
  88. SECTION 20.
  89. SECTION 21.
  90. SECTION 22.
  91. SECTION 23.
  92. SECTION 24.
  93. SECTION 25.
  94. BOOK FOUR
  95. SECTION 1.
  96. SECTION 2.
  97. SECTION 3.
  98. SECTION 4.
  99. SECTION 5.
  100. SECTION 6.
  101. SECTION 7.
  102. SECTION 8.
  103. SECTION 9.
  104. SECTION 10.
  105. SECTION 11.
  106. SECTION 12.
  107. SECTION 13.
  108. SECTION 14.
  109. SECTION 15.
  110. SECTION 16.
  111. SECTION 17.
  112. SECTION 18.
  113. SECTION 19.
  114. SECTION 20.
  115. SECTION 21.
  116. SECTION 22.
  117. SECTION 23.
  118. SECTION 24.
  119. SECTION 25.
  120. SECTION 26.
  121. SECTION 27.
  122. SECTION 28.
  123. SECTION 29.
  124. SECTION 30.
  125. SECTION 31.
  126. POSTSCRIPT

FAQ

What is the relationship between this book and Sinclair's The Jungle?
Both embody Sinclair's path of intervening in social reform through fiction. The Jungle focuses on the meatpacking industry, while this book turns to coal mining and the condition of laborers; the themes and method are continuous, but the stories and characters are independent, so there is no need to read The Jungle first.
Is the novel based on real events?
The materials only state that Sinclair long devoted himself to social justice movements and that this book takes coal mining as its subject. Readers may regard it as realistic fiction with strong social concern; the correspondence to specific events requires reference to relevant historical materials, and the plot should not be taken directly as historical record.
How difficult are the language and narration?
The vocabulary is not especially difficult overall, but there is a good deal of argument and exposition, and the characterization tends toward types. Readers familiar with early twentieth-century American society will find it smoother; those seeking only plot may feel the pace is interrupted by discussion.

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About the author

Upton Sinclair Author

Upton Sinclair was an American writer, though the publicly available information on his life and education is limited in this database, so this introduction can only draw on the works listed here. The collection includes two of his works: the novel King Coal and 100%: The Story of a Patriot. Judging from the subjects of these two works, he often took social reality as his starting point, using fiction to present how ordinary people find themselves within structures of power, capital, and politics, with a clear critical awareness and a documentary quality. His writing tends to be direct and concrete, focusing on plot development and the fate of his characters, so that readers encounter social issues while following the story. The Chinese site classifies his works under inspirational growth, perhaps because his characters' choices and transformations in difficult circumstances carry an encouraging message. As a writer with social concern, Sinclair's works still offer readers a reference for understanding the social conditions of a particular era.

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