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A review by lizabethstucker
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
3.0
A classic, An American Tragedy is a look at life at the turn of the century as well as a murder tale. It is a slow read as well as a large book, so if you decide to delve into this one, be prepared to give it your all. A typical hardback is over 960 pages.
The basic storyline is based on a notorious murder committed in 1910. The books, for there are three within one, tell the life of Clyde Griffiths, son of poor street preachers, a boy who wants more out of life than what he has. As he tries to break away from his parents and their life, he finds himself stumbling through relationships with other boys his age and women, trying to learn what he needs to become normal. He is used and abused, learning to do the same to others in his quest for greatness and respectability.
I don't want to spoil the story's quirks and turns and such, so I'm not going to go into any more details, but if you're interested, do a search or check out the Cliffs' or Sparks' notes.
It's been about 35 years since I read this book the first time and I have to say that my interest level wasn't quite as strong this time through. I had forgotten quite a bit of the book over the years.
The basic storyline is based on a notorious murder committed in 1910. The books, for there are three within one, tell the life of Clyde Griffiths, son of poor street preachers, a boy who wants more out of life than what he has. As he tries to break away from his parents and their life, he finds himself stumbling through relationships with other boys his age and women, trying to learn what he needs to become normal. He is used and abused, learning to do the same to others in his quest for greatness and respectability.
I don't want to spoil the story's quirks and turns and such, so I'm not going to go into any more details, but if you're interested, do a search or check out the Cliffs' or Sparks' notes.
It's been about 35 years since I read this book the first time and I have to say that my interest level wasn't quite as strong this time through. I had forgotten quite a bit of the book over the years.