The Octopus
Frank Norris
Read by Delmar H Dolbier
Frank Norris based his 1901 novel The Octopus (A Story of California) on the Mussel Slough Tragedy of 1880, a bloody conflict between ranchers and agents of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The central issue was over the ownership of the ranches, which the farmers had leased from the railroad nearly ten years earlier with intentions of eventually purchasing the land. Although originally priced at $2.50 to $5 per acre, the railroad eventually opened the land for sale at prices adjusted for land improvements; the railroad’s attempts to take possession of the land led the ranchers to defend themselves as depicted in the book. (Summary by Wikipedia and Delmar H. Dolbier) (21 hr 44 min)
Chapters
| Book I, Chapter I, Part 1 | 27:46 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter I, Part 2 | 31:55 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter I, Part 3 | 17:05 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter I, Part 4 | 26:37 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 2, Part 1 | 22:04 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 2, Part 2 | 21:41 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 2, Part 3 | 22:53 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 2, Part 4 | 18:21 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 3, Part 1 | 17:12 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 3, Part 2 | 20:01 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 3, Part 3 | 19:58 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 4, Part 1 | 25:04 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 4, Part 2 | 27:13 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 4, Part 3 | 22:03 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 5, Part 1 | 23:14 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 5, Part 2 | 21:10 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 5, Part 3 | 19:56 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 5, Part 4 | 19:24 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 5, Part 5 | 22:46 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 6, Part 1 | 27:44 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 6, Part 2 | 21:41 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 6, Part 3 | 23:47 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 6, Part 4 | 21:16 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 6, Part 5 | 23:32 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book I, Chapter 6, Part 6 | 24:15 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 1, Part 1 | 18:40 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 1, Part 2 | 19:28 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 1, Part 3 | 19:54 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 1, Part 4 | 20:38 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 2, Part 1 | 19:24 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 2, Part 2 | 19:17 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 2, Part 3 | 17:10 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 2, Part 4 | 18:17 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 2, Part 5 | 20:07 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 3, Part 1 | 16:25 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 3, Part 2 | 18:13 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 3, Part 3 | 17:58 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 4, Part 1 | 19:44 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 4, Part 2 | 18:13 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 4, Part 3 | 15:38 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 4, Part 4 | 16:55 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 4, Part 5 | 18:32 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 4, Part 6 | 18:37 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 5, Part 1 | 19:58 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 5, Part 2 | 18:39 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 5, Part 3 | 15:45 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 5, Part 4 | 17:41 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 6, Part 1 | 15:42 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 6, Part 2 | 17:08 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 6, Part 3 | 15:36 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 6, Part 4 | 16:22 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 7, Part 1 | 17:37 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 7, Part 2 | 19:24 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 7, Part 3 | 20:52 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 7, Part 4 | 20:31 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 8, Part 1 | 19:09 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 8, Part 2 | 15:30 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 8, Part 3 | 16:17 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 8, Part 4 | 17:54 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 8, Part 5 | 15:20 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 8, Part 6 | 24:25 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 9, Part 1 | 16:05 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 9, Part 2 | 17:04 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 9, Part 3 | 20:17 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Book II, Chapter 9, Part 4 | 14:44 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
| Conclusion | 10:41 | Read by Delmar H Dolbier |
Reviews
The Octopus
Kevin in Fullerton
Delmar Dolbier does a wonderful job bringing this famous novel alive. This historically important example of muckrakjng makes a great listen and captures the struggle against the monopolistic policies found in California from the railroads.
strange ranging novel
agoodsourceof
the reader presents a performance of voices that was often entertaining but sometimes uncomfortably caricatured. the novel gives a long sweep of american events in postcivil war California. the events surrounding the railroad, its manipulation of the courts and lobbying efforts has disturbingly close resemblance to contemporary american politics.
A LibriVox Listener
outstanding reading - it shpuld be called a dramatization instead of a reading!