randolakes 's review for:

The Iron Heel by Jack London

2.75

dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I was going to. Alternate, speculative history involving workers' uprisings against the American oligarchic class? Count me in! Sadly, and after about 50 pages of speeches and conversations at Socialist dinner parties, I thought, At some point the story has to get rolling! I was mistaken. After about 125 pages, I thought the same thing and was again mistaken. It never really feels like the plot takes off and suddenly the book ends and you're dissatisfied. This could have been so much better if it was more focused on the workers and their strikes. It kind of just felt like fawning over Earnest himself while Earnest does his best Marx.