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The Octopus: A Story of California
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The Octopus: A Story of California Paperback - 1994

by Frank Norris; Introduction by Kevin Starr


Summary

Like the tentacles of an octopus, the tracks of the railroad reached out across California, as if to grasp everything of value in the state Based on an actual, bloody dispute between wheat farmers and the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880, The Octopus is a stunning novel of the waning days of the frontier West. To the tough-minded and self-reliant farmers, the monopolistic, land-grabbing railroad represented everything they despised: consolidation, organization, conformity. But Norris idealizes no one in this epic depiction of the volatile situation, for the farmers themselves ruthlessly exploited the land, and in their hunger for larger holdings they resorted to the same tactics used by the railroad: subversion, coercion and outright violence. In his introduction, Kevin Starr discusses Norris's debt to Zola for the novel's extraordinary sweep, scale and abundance of characters and details.

From the publisher

Like the tentacles of an octopus, the tracks of the railroad reached out across California, as if to grasp everything of value in the state Based on an actual, bloody dispute between wheat farmers and the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880, The Octopus is a stunning novel of the waning days of the frontier West. To the tough-minded and self-reliant farmers, the monopolistic, land-grabbing railroad represented everything they despised: consolidation, organization, conformity. But Norris idealizes no one in this epic depiction of the volatile situation, for the farmers themselves ruthlessly exploited the land, and in their hunger for larger holdings they resorted to the same tactics used by the railroad: subversion, coercion and outright violence. In his introduction, Kevin Starr discusses Norris's debt to Zola for the novel's extraordinary sweep, scale and abundance of characters and details.

First line

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Details

  • Title The Octopus: A Story of California
  • Author Frank Norris; Introduction by Kevin Starr
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reissue
  • Pages 688
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Penguin Group, E Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.A.
  • Date August 1, 1994
  • ISBN 9780140187700 / 0140187707
  • Weight 1.04 lbs (0.47 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.75 x 5.09 x 1.33 in (19.69 x 12.93 x 3.38 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Themes
    • Cultural Region: West Coast
    • Demographic Orientation: Rural
    • Geographic Orientation: California
  • Library of Congress subjects Western stories, Allegories
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 85031463
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

About the author

Frank Norris (1870-1902) was an American journalist and novelist. Among his novels are McTeague, The Octopus: A Story of California, and The Pit. His fiction is classified under naturalism and has been compared to the works of mile Zola, Stephen Crane, and Edith Wharton. Kevin Starr (1940 - 2017) was an American historian and California's State Librarian, best know for his multi-volume series on the history of California. His writing won a Guggenheim Fellowship, and gold and silver medals from the Commonwealth Club of California. His books include Americans and the California Dream, 1850-1915; California: A History;and Golden Gate: The Life and Times of America's Greatest Bridge.
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The Octopus: A Story of California
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The Octopus: A Story of California

by Norris

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Paperback
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9780140187700 / 0140187707
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Penguin, 1994. Softcover. Good Condition. Has used bookstore stickers. Text has Marking, Cover Has Shelf, Edge and Corner Wear, Looks nice. 656 pages. Multiple copies available this title. Quantity Available: 2. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. Category: Literature & Literary; ISBN: 0140187707. ISBN/EAN: 9780140187700. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: 1561058240. . 9780140187700
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The Octopus: A Story of California (The Epic of the Wheat)
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The Octopus: A Story of California (The Epic of the Wheat)

by Norris, Frank; Starr, Kevin [Introduction]

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The Octopus: A Story of California (The Epic of the Wheat)
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The Octopus: A Story of California (The Epic of the Wheat)

by Norris, Frank

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The Octopus : A Story of California

The Octopus : A Story of California

by Frank Norris

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The Octopus : A Story of California

The Octopus : A Story of California

by Frank Norris

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The Octopus : A Story of California

The Octopus : A Story of California

by Frank Norris

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The Octopus : A Story of California

The Octopus : A Story of California

by Frank Norris

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140187700 / 0140187707
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The Octopus: A Story of California

The Octopus: A Story of California

by Norris, Frank

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The Octopus : A Story of California

The Octopus : A Story of California

by Frank Norris

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The Octopus: A Story of California (Twentieth Century Classics) (v. 1)
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The Octopus: A Story of California (Twentieth Century Classics) (v. 1)

by Frank Norris; Introduction-Kevin Starr

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