A review by bobbo49
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser

4.0

This is a monster of a novel, and it's been on my "to read" list all of my adult life because it is so highly regarded (on everyone's "best of the 20th Century" list) and so long (850+ pages). I finally picked it up as a book club choice, and while the style and language are a bit dated (written early in the 20th Century), it is a fine read. The story follows the life of a young, poor mid-western boy into adulthood, as he struggles to achieve the financial and social successes of his east coast uncle's family, in the process gradually losing his moral grip and descending into darkness. Much of the tale reads like a well told mystery. The middle portion of the book, which vividly follows his internal debates over which course to choose, and the fear of discovery once he has chosen his course, is simply gripping. The ending is not quite up to the story, but this is still a great read.