Just finished it, and I agree with some of the other reviewers. I know its a classic and I should like it, but I just don't. I felt that there were entire chapters that were unnecessary and only put in so that the author could show off his wordplay. Not horrible, but there are definitely better things to read.
Great Read! Recommended by my mother who read it in high school. The living conditions portrayed in the Chicago stockyards are unbelievable. You will be filled with horror, and you will not be able to stop reading.