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madcrazyreviews 's review for:
Sister Carrie
by Theodore Dreiser
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.