The Octopus

Frank Norris

⏱ 8 minAmerican classic

In the vast California wheat country, ranchers are locked in a life-and-death struggle against the railroad, the Octopus, whose freight-rates and bought politicians strangle them, to a bloody climax, while over the human tragedy grows the wheat itself, feeding the world. Norris's mighty naturalist epic.

Listen to the whole of The Octopus in about 8 minutes — professionally narrated, with Apple-Music-style synced subtitles. One book free every day; Folio Premium unlocks the entire library.