Nominally, a fictional story of the disputes between a railroad and ranchers in California, it was actually a stern critique of the Central Pacific Railroad based on the famous "Mussel Slough Tragedy" where a shootout occurred between railroad men and citizens of a small California town. The Octopus was originally planned to be part one of a three part trilogy, The Epic of the Wheat. Part two, The Pit, was published later but Norris died before completing the third novel.

Extent
692 p.
Series
penguin books
ISBN
9780140187700

1 copy · reference, in-library use

19B-2