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American Tragedy
 
 
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American Tragedy (School & Library Binding)

by Theodore Dreiser (Author) "DUSK-of a summer night ..." (more)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
Price: CDN$ 21.96 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
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Book Description

The classic depiction of the harsh realities of American life, the dark side of the American Dream, and one man's doomed pursuit of love and success...

"Mr. Dreiser is not imitative and belongs to no school. He is at heart a mysticist and a fatalist, though using the realistic method. He is, on the evidence of this novel alone, a power."-The New York Times Book Review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Ingram

A story of a poor boy whose ambition for wealth and social prestige leads him to commit murder. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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DUSK-of a summer night. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

70 Reviews
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3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (6)
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (70 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Profoundly moving, May 29 2009
By George Florea "GTF" (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: American Tragedy (Paperback)
I began reading this book without knowing what it was about, except what was made clear by the title, a tragedy. After reading a few pages, I could not put it aside.

Although this book is by far the saddest I have ever read, I nevertheless consider it truly sensational, in the sense that in retelling "the tragedy" based on the real-life event, the author also fills its every page with the concerns that have forever confronted the human heart.

Raw, sinister and full-fledged suffering lurks just beneath the surface of this book's text, and it moved me to tears.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Does this plot sound familiar? Laci Peterson......, July 17 2004
By Gary C. Marfin (Sugar Land, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: American Tragedy (Paperback)
Laci Peterson you are not alone... In the beginning of the 20th century, in up-state New York, a very real and tragic event occurred and became the basis for Dreisser's novel, An American Tragedy. Clyde Griffiths, the central character of this novel, fell out of love with a co-worker, Roberta Alden, but not before she became pregnant with his child. Clyde fell madly, hopelessly in love with a younger, captivating and much wealthier woman, Sondra. So, Roberta and baby drown, initially mysteriously. The boat is recovered and found to have been rented to Clyde. Later, of course, Mr. Griffiths is charged with the crime, and his affair with Sondra is disclosed, though the media refer to Sondra as Miss X. Nothing but circumstantial evidence connects him to the crime.
What is "American" about this tragedy? I think the answer resides in Clyde's aspirations, their impact on all he touches, and the impact of the his past on the drive to dream fulfillment. Once Roberta has drown, Clyde swims to the shore of the lake, a new immigrant, a young man on the verge of what he hopes will be a new and glamorous world. It is, as one critic described, a vapid world, but it is what he wants nonethless. Behind him, at the bottom of that lake, rests his past -- a world of poverty, a world without opportunity, the world of his childhood. He came to that Lake with the intention of killing Roberta, but was spared the trouble. She fell overboard and all he had to do was nothing, simply let mom and baby sink, while he swims quietly to shore. But the past is not so easily shed. It sticks to him and ultimately brings him to trial for his actions, or his failure to act, and his intent to kill. Readers of this book might benefit from reading Elizabeth Hardwick's provocative, essay, "Seduction and Betrayal," though I think she errs in her contention that "the whole drive of the novel is to make us feel Clyde's loss..." Rather the whole drive of the novel is to make us feel that Clyde and everyone he touched lost. Drawn to a new world, but unable to shed the old, he drags everyone and everything down with him.
Trust me: no one will every say, "Gee, I wish An American Tragedy had been a bit longer." The novel is exhausting, unpredicatable and at times almost amateurish in its flow. Still, it has an infectious quality about it and, most unfortunately, continues to resonate.
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4.0 out of 5 stars What is the real tragedy?, Jun 26 2004
By Josh Moffit (Philippines) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: American Tragedy (Paperback)
Dreiser's story is very easy to read. He writes in a very descriptive style, giving many details to the story. I found it very interesting that the story was based on the life of Chester Gillette who drowned his pregnant girlfriend in a New York lake in 1906. The obvious tragedy in the book is the murder of an innocent girl and then the execution of the young man who killed the girl. But the real tragedy is one that is found in our society. Self-interest comes before any other value in our society. This self-interest is characterized by social and economical gain. While I believe the worship of social gain has subsided in the last century, the desire for economic gain has grown a great deal. So the real tragedy lies in this- that many people don't value anything other than self.

The book closely follows the life of Clyde Griffiths, a weak individual who seems to have no will of his own. The author tries to portray the main character as a cog with no freedom in society. This theme of Naturalism gives too much weight to the influence of genetics and environment. In reality, the main character made awful decision that were deserving of punishment.

The story was very interesting, and I found myself getting angry at the main character as he made poor (tragic) choices. At times, the book was slow because of the descriptive style. But overall the book was interesting, and shows the American tragedy.

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 		 Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth a read
This book was recommended to me by a Russian friend who said that Dreiser had been popular in the Soviet Union. I could immediately see why. Read more
Published on Jun 5 2004 by J. Jacobs

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth a read
This book was recommended to me by a Russian friend who said that Dreiser had been popular in the Soviet Union. I could immediately see why. Read more
Published on Jun 5 2004 by J. Jacobs

5.0 out of 5 stars Based on a true story...
Just a note, no one here has mentioned that this is based on a true event that took place in Herkimer county in 1906 I believe.
Published on Mar 27 2004 by Laurel

5.0 out of 5 stars A Simple Plan
The film "A Simple Plan" could have easily been called "An American Tragedy," and the book "An American Tragedy" could have just as easily been... Read more
Published on Jan 6 2004 by brewster22

5.0 out of 5 stars Put it on your must read list.
Yes, it is a very long book over 800 pages; yes it is definitely an American classic; yes, it is an tragedy; but whether it is a portrait of the dark side of the American Dream... Read more
Published on Nov 26 2003 by Robert Wynkoop

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Novel -- Worthy of Your Time!
As a writer, this book stands as a shining example of perfect prose. Because of his descriptions, you as the reader are able to get a very clear and accurate picture of every... Read more
Published on Nov 20 2003

3.0 out of 5 stars American dream, American nightmare...
Inspired by the sensational details from a famous 1906 murder case -- in which a young man named Chester Gillette killed his girlfriend Grace Brown for being 'inconvenient' --... Read more
Published on Sep 11 2003 by ca-bookshelf

5.0 out of 5 stars Long but Worthy
Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945) is one of the giants of American letters. His novel "Sister Carrie," written in 1900, is a cathedral of naturalist literature. Read more
Published on July 5 2003 by Jeffrey Leach

5.0 out of 5 stars a memorable book
I read this book over 35 years ago when I was in my early teens. It was the first large novel that I tried to tackle and I have been grateful ever since that I gave it a try... Read more
Published on Jun 16 2003 by Randy Keehn

5.0 out of 5 stars The great American novel
I first read this novel in a high school literature class, and it immediately became one of my all-time favorite books. Read more
Published on Jun 12 2003 by English major

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