About this book
The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.”
The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins
Chapters
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- 1Preface2:00 · read by Bob R
- 2The Ride1:07:15 · read by Bob R
- 3The Lease, Parts 1-541:08 · read by Bob R
- 4The Lease, Parts 6-934:50 · read by Bob R
- 5The Drilling, Parts 1-544:24 · read by Bob R
- 6The Drilling, Parts 6-844:36 · read by Bob R
- 7The Ranch, Parts 1-543:41 · read by Bob R
- 8The Ranch, Parts 6-937:09 · read by Bob R
- 9The Revelation, Parts 1-440:53 · read by Bob R
- 10The Revelation, Parts 5-740:27 · read by Bob R
- 11The Wildcat, Parts 1-440:00 · read by Bob R
- 12The Wildcat, Parts 5-846:25 · read by Bob R
- 13The Strike, Parts 1-447:36 · read by Bob R
- 14The Strike, Parts 5-950:08 · read by Bob R
- 15The War, Parts 1-536:18 · read by Bob R
- 16The War, Parts 6-922:40 · read by Bob R
- 17The Victory1:00:13 · read by Bob R
- 18The University, Parts 1-534:18 · read by Bob R
- 19The University, Parts 6-1143:33 · read by Bob R
- 20The Rebel, Parts 1-634:50 · read by Bob R
- 21The Rebel, Parts 7-1137:01 · read by Bob R
- 22The Siren, Parts 1-632:59 · read by Bob R
- 23The Siren, Parts 7-1235:17 · read by Bob R
- 24The Monastery, Parts 1-744:46 · read by Bob R
- 25The Monastery, Parts 8-1433:49 · read by Bob R
- 26The Star, Parts 1-740:56 · read by Bob R
- 27The Star, Parts 8-1649:27 · read by Bob R
- 28The Vacation, Parts 1-644:11 · read by Bob R
- 29The Vacation, Parts 7-1133:56 · read by Bob R
- 30The Killing, Parts 1-529:22 · read by Bob R
- 31The Killing, Parts 6-1038:47 · read by Bob R
- 32The Exposure, Parts 1-536:33 · read by Bob R
- 33The Exposure, Parts 6-1140:52 · read by Bob R
- 34The Flight, Parts 1-742:54 · read by Bob R
- 35The Flight, Parts 8-1130:23 · read by Bob R
- 36The Penalty, Parts 1-531:27 · read by Bob R
- 37The Penalty, Parts 6-1028:36 · read by Bob R
- 38The Dedication54:20 · read by Bob R
- 39The Honeymoon, Parts 1-747:08 · read by Bob R
- 40The Honeymoon, Parts 8-1541:16 · read by Bob R
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