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Reviews

Jennie Gerhardt by Theodore Dreiser

molly_roanoke's review against another edition

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4.0

iris murdochy - if iris murdoch were working class, from indiana and only really interested in social commentary

steven_weinstein's review against another edition

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3.0

A good read. I was interested in what was to become of her, but she was too good -- selfless, a saint. It was hard to believe her sacrifices and passive acceptance of things.

cj24's review against another edition

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5.0

I simply love Dreiser. I do believe he is my favorite author with Atwood a close second. There were moments in this lovely novel where the descriptions made you feel as you were experiencing them yourself. This books flows solidly beginning to end and character development was superb. What a masterpiece!

cmathis's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

zuzana_be's review against another edition

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4.0

Jennie Gerhadt vyšla v dvoch vydaniach - jedna necenzurovaná, jedna cenzurovaná. nenašla som, ktorá verzia bola tá z 1946, použitá na preklad do slovenčiny, ale Dreiser bol dosť kritický voči spoločnosti aj v tejto, tak teraz neviem.
Jennie pochádza z chudobnej rodiny prisťahovaného Nemca. v osemnástich ju nabúcha o 30 rokov starší senátor, ktorý potom nečakane zomrie. čo je dosť veľký problém na prelome 19./20.storočia. Jennie sa potom zoznámi s ďalším starším vplyvným mužom s nekonvenčnými názormi, ktorý ale na manželstvo tiež nepomýšľa a to je ďalší problém. samotná Jennie je vykreslená ako dobrá, milá, citlivá žienka domáca, ktorá sa ale väčšinou necháva unášať životom.
zaujímavejší je pohľad americkej spoločnosti na slobodnú matku (aj keď žije v partnerstve). kastovanie, ohováranie, zavrhnutie od rodiny. nikoho nezaujíma, aká je Jennie v skutočnosti. raz nie je v správnej spoločenskej kaste a nežije konvenčnými pravidlami (najprv svadba, potom dieťa, vo vlastnej triede samozrejme), tak má smolu.
odporúčam ako prieskum morálneho povedomia spoločnosti na začiatku 20.storočia.

msand3's review against another edition

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5.0

A devastating novel, and one that I probably shouldn’t have read at this point in my life, as Dreiser hits very close to home in his aching sorrow for the forces of fate that guide our destiny: class, social convention, geography, gender, ethnicity, health, physical appearance. There are no villains, saviors, or victims. Morality, while laudable, gives us no solace or deliverance. There exists only our lives that float like so much detritus along the currents of a brief existence. This novel hit me hard, and in a way I’m having trouble putting into words. I came close to shedding tears at the end; not for Jennie as much as for humanity.

sarahc1215's review against another edition

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4.0

Beautiful Jennie Gerhardt is the eldest child of a large, impoverished family. Her beauty, naivete and kindness make her appealing to men of all classes--she becomes pregnant after a liaison with a well-known senator, and ends up living out of wedlock with a wealthy heir. The book explores the impact of the decisions we make, as well as societal and economic injustices.

arquero's review against another edition

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2.0

A pulp fiction. No beautiful prose, no cunning plot, no strong characters, no mature social protest.
IMHO it could be serialized into several hundreds episodes of dull soap opera.

Bad, Dreisie, very bad.