Theodore Dreiser has created a jaw-dropping book.
I don’t want to just retell the story with my “wows” and “bahs” with feelings attached, so I will only describe my perception of this book. Of course, the novel had been written almost 100 years ago, but some people might not know the plot. So, spoiler alert.
The author describes everything extensively and thoroughly. On the one hand, it irritated me that the plot was developing slowly, on the other hand, it enabled me to feel the story more deeply, to empathize with characters.
Clyde Griffiths seems to me much as myself. He had suffered great pressure in childhood years, didn’t know what he wants. Sadly, the character has a fancy for girls, what made him just suffer even more. At some points you can feel only contempt for his spinelessness. And then his uncertainty combines with overconfidence what gives him more troubles.
I willingly understand his ill behavior. No excuses for it, but his motives make sense.
I think that the tragedy was fueled by many aspects of society itself. And some of them are still currently important. Religious fanaticism, what would people think, shotgun weddings, traditional virtues and so on.
The author artfully draw a picture from the point of different characters view. When you read Clyde’s segments you don’t understand Roberta, she makes you angry. When you read Roberta’s segments you feel sorry for her, you hate Clyde for his selfish behavior.
My personal hatred is for the district attorney Mason. He practically used Clyde’s doing for his political career improvement. Of course, justice must be served, but turning the trial into entertainment, scathing rebuke is unforgivable for me.
Judging by myself, I can recommend this book for those who love catchy stories with characters which are not just talking heads without personal features development. For those who are not afraid of vast amount of pages and love strong finale. For those who are don’t like the tyranny of normality, who have the darkness inside.
Similar stuff: Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky, Rage movie by Uwe Boll, American Psycho both film and book.