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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
I absolutely ate this up even though it made me even more depressed throughout most of it. The plot/narration/commentary is seamless and the nuance of the characters is executed beautifully as well.
After the first few chapters I thought I was going to HATE this book. Originally I found the author’s commentary on women grating, the characters flat, and the descriptions droning. However, the drama in this book ends up being pretty good and after a while I found myself really wondering what was going to happen next and what the outcome would be. The ending was affecting and I’ll likely be pondering it for a while. If you can get over the timely sexism and some long-windedness, it is a good read.
The title is Sister Carrie because that is what Carrie's family calls her. The story of Caroline Meeber who leaves a small town to stay with her sister and brother-in-law in Chicago to find work and expand her horizons. She meets a traveling salesman on the train on the way to Chicago. He is a ladies' man and finds her pretty and sets himself to win her attention. She gives him her name and her sister's address and accepts his card. She tries to find work but really has no idea how to go about it, although she finds a job in a factory she finds the work hard and very discouraging and is not comfortable with the people who work there. She doesn't feel she fits. Most of her salary goes to her sister for board, but Carrie wants stylish clothes and to see sights and entertainments which her sister and brother-in-law disapprove of. He has been counting on Carrie's board to pay household expenses so he can save more money and is not at all interested in any amusements. Carrie runs into Drouet, the salesman, while she is looking for work and feeling desperate. He takes her to eat and to a theater and amuses her. He gives her money for clothes and persuades her to leave her sister's. She is happy for awhile but he introduces her to an unscrupulous friend. But Carrie continues to mature and learn wisdom during all this and rises through all lthis.
It was very beautifully written book. It was very interesting seeing the characters development throughout the whole story. I like it, but i give 4 stars because something was off about Carrie's character. But, overall, it was a nice book.
Although the story starts slowly, and I had my doubts, it ultimately develops into a very good portrait of life in the growing big cities (Chicago and New York) of the turn of the 19th Century, and of the nature of relationships. Centered on a young and very naive country girl who moves to the city, and her various relationships and awakenings, the book is an excellent commentary on personal values and life choices.
For the supposedly classic work on the "fallen" woman, Dreiser doesn't really seem to have much insight into the female mind. For that matter, his male characters are also wooden and unrealistic.
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It is a tragedy. The movie is actually pretty good though. Simple, vulnerable girl loses everything but regains self-confidence and control.
RATING: 3.5
I tend to be a bit more forgiving of older books, especially older ambitious books (hence why the "clicked" rating is 4 rather than 3).
There's a lot to enjoy and admire here. Dreiser writes with a plain, no-frills style. The characters guide the story; they are not slaves to the plot. And the characters are interesting and complex, too! There is triumph, tragedy, tribulation. Regrets and successes and even some lessons learned.
The book does have the feel of a transitional novel, though. I'm certainly no expert, but it feels like the influence of the likes of Dickens and Dostoevsky weight heavy on Dreiser's prose. The novel has much to say about class, poverty, and how getting what you wish for isn't always for the best. It turns flat-out preachy by the end, but only for a few paragraphs so it's not overbearing.
I'm not sure who I'd recommend this to, as it's more a slice of life that requires a specific audience. Pretty good, though.
I tend to be a bit more forgiving of older books, especially older ambitious books (hence why the "clicked" rating is 4 rather than 3).
There's a lot to enjoy and admire here. Dreiser writes with a plain, no-frills style. The characters guide the story; they are not slaves to the plot. And the characters are interesting and complex, too! There is triumph, tragedy, tribulation. Regrets and successes and even some lessons learned.
The book does have the feel of a transitional novel, though. I'm certainly no expert, but it feels like the influence of the likes of Dickens and Dostoevsky weight heavy on Dreiser's prose. The novel has much to say about class, poverty, and how getting what you wish for isn't always for the best. It turns flat-out preachy by the end, but only for a few paragraphs so it's not overbearing.
I'm not sure who I'd recommend this to, as it's more a slice of life that requires a specific audience. Pretty good, though.
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes