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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Almost deceptively good in its skillful inversion of the Fallen Woman Morality Play genre. The occasional awkwardnesses in Dreiser's syntax actually work, I think, to make this more readable. The plot, bookended by two highly charged exchanges of $20, ably juxtaposes the three principal character arcs through a random, ruthless, restless capitalism - Carrie "rises," Hurstwood "falls," and Drouet remains on an even keel.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Genuinely adore this novel. All the characters are so human and true. I am so excited to discuss this in a book club context! I think it's fascinating how Dreiser made Carrie integrally human, searching for beauty and good and "the ideal" but having to do so in realistic ways. It's just beautifully written and the ideas are so interesting to think about.
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was supposed to read this in college. I read far enough to decide it was a big morality statement and women shouldn't do anything but marry somebody and shut up. I'm embarrassed but pleased at how wrong I was.
I wish I was in a college class again to discuss this, because I really liked it, and would like to sort out the various feelings I have about the characters. It's an incredibly forward-looking book. I can't quite grasp that a woman character was so powerful in a novel back then. I mean, I get that she's not necessarily the nicest woman you'd want to meet, but still.
An impressive work. I wasn't expecting to like it so much.
I wish I was in a college class again to discuss this, because I really liked it, and would like to sort out the various feelings I have about the characters. It's an incredibly forward-looking book. I can't quite grasp that a woman character was so powerful in a novel back then. I mean, I get that she's not necessarily the nicest woman you'd want to meet, but still.
An impressive work. I wasn't expecting to like it so much.
I have meant to read Sister Carrie for years - being a fan of 1900s literature. Dreiser makes you feel like you're in Chicago - you can almost see the sights, hear the sounds, and feel the weather. The juxtaposition of Carrie and the two main male characters is fascinating. She's not who she seems to be at the opening of the novel and grows into herself as the pages progress. Dreiser allows us to view this time period and the great cities of Chicago and New York through several characters - some of which you will likely love and some you will loathe. Fascinating read.
Interesting story plot, had to read it for college English class and enjoyed it a lot more than I originally thought.
I can forgive Dreiser for wasting so much of my time. Because his story represents with vivid details a reality far removed from us--or perhaps not so distant after all-- so eloquently I feel like I could time-travel back to 1900s New York or Chicago and know enough of their ways, dreams, and hobbies, or lack thereof, to fit right in. The novel is definitely way too long, 500 pages too long, but the sheer immobility granted by the trap that is capital consumerism is well portrayed, and it feels like we as readers have been sucked into this never-ending ladder of longing at the end.
So I can forgive the almost non-existent plot, as we are forced to read about job-hunting, window shopping, not-so-scandalous (for us) love affairs, overall dissatisfaction and an ungodly amount of longing for 600 pages.
What I cannot forgive is the utter lack of any likeable character. Any. I always thought a long enough book could make me care for any type of protagonist, if only for the time investment I put on their life, but this novel proved me wrong.
They could all have ended up beggars, or dead, or have completely disappeared from the narrative without further warning, and I probably would not have noticed, wondered why, or even cared.
And as having a minimum of love for at least one character in a story is my personal requirement for enjoyment, it is safe to say I hated every single weirdly-titled chapter of this book.
So I can forgive the almost non-existent plot, as we are forced to read about job-hunting, window shopping, not-so-scandalous (for us) love affairs, overall dissatisfaction and an ungodly amount of longing for 600 pages.
What I cannot forgive is the utter lack of any likeable character. Any. I always thought a long enough book could make me care for any type of protagonist, if only for the time investment I put on their life, but this novel proved me wrong.
They could all have ended up beggars, or dead, or have completely disappeared from the narrative without further warning, and I probably would not have noticed, wondered why, or even cared.
And as having a minimum of love for at least one character in a story is my personal requirement for enjoyment, it is safe to say I hated every single weirdly-titled chapter of this book.
There was a lot about this book I really liked. The setting and time period were great- it's a late Victorian tale of a young woman looking to better her life. Dreiser writes with a clear, engaging style that is easy to read and understand. Dreiser has a lot to say about the changing times, both socially and culturally.
There are several reasons why this book got three stars instead of four: I can't say I really loved any of the characters. Carrie is *ok*- for all her beauty, she never appeared like she had a sparkling personality, especially for all the men who lusted after her. Drouet is just looking for a good time, and Hurstwood has no spine. After roughly 450 pages of scenes, the novel just ends, rather abruptly.
There are several reasons why this book got three stars instead of four: I can't say I really loved any of the characters. Carrie is *ok*- for all her beauty, she never appeared like she had a sparkling personality, especially for all the men who lusted after her. Drouet is just looking for a good time, and Hurstwood has no spine. After roughly 450 pages of scenes, the novel just ends, rather abruptly.
Sister Carrie is an American classic and like most other classics, that doesn’t make it enjoyable. If I were to rate every classic I’ve ever read, this one would probably rate pretty low. None of the characters are interesting or even likable, the plot is meandering and has no real flow to it, and overall, its just boring.