From the Bookshelf of Reading List Completists…

An American Tragedy

Theodore Dreiser

Start date: January 1, 2020

Finish date: March 31, 2020

Discussion: American Tragedy - Jan-Mar 2020

Why we're reading this: Winner of the Jan-March 2020 Completist Big Read Poll
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American Tragedy - Jan-Mar 2020

General Discussion - An American Tragedy
By Matthew , Assistant List Master · 17 posts · 18 views

last updated Feb 24, 2020 01:40PM

Review - An American Tragedy
By Matthew , Assistant List Master · 4 posts · 12 views

last updated Jan 24, 2020 12:38PM

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What Members Thought

Jan 08, 2020 Eileen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literature, 2020genrechallenge, audiobook, 2020, 2020-ng-group-challenge, classics

4.5 stars

This is my first book by Theodore Dreiser and I'm glad I read it. As long as it is, I think the combination of narrator and Dreiser's style worked very well. I found myself yelling more and more at Clyde as the book kept on ramping up, but then during the trial, I started feeling sorry for him and that part of Clyde's inability to see how wrong he was and how at fault he was was because of all the lessons he was learning from society, especially high society. And yet, why did he not lea ...more

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Jan 28, 2019 Judy Robertson rated it liked it

I was totally engrossed in the beginning. The protagonist Clyde is very likable and I immediately bonded. I was excited for him and his adventures. The constant repetition in the writing became unnerving. “Clyde was not going to do this, no he couldn’t, he couldn’t even imagine it...no no he would not”. It went on and on, sometimes for pages. I was teleported to a Dr. Seuss book every three chapters or more. I was left very unsatisfied with the ending, too many loose ends.

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Feb 04, 2022 Liane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: x-2022-tbr-challenge, x-2022

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Finally finished before I hit the one year mark! That's a small victory. I couldn't say that this was a delightful read, though I don't enjoy true crime.

Moreover, Dreiser writes ponderously slow action, excessively detailed, albeit with a wonderful vocabulary. Is this to be applauded? I don't see why. And I couldn't stand most of his characters.

This was an deep look at the inside of a horrible, morally bankrupt young man at the turn of the 20th century. His upbringing was depressing and poor, p Finally finished before I hit the one year mark! That's a small victory. I couldn't say that this was a delightful read, though I don't enjoy true crime.

Moreover, Dreiser writes ponderously slow action, excessively detailed, albeit with a wonderful vocabulary. Is this to be applauded? I don't see why. And I couldn't stand most of his characters.

This was an deep look at the inside of a horrible, morally bankrupt young man at the turn of the 20th century. His upbringing was depressing and poor, pious to the point of neglect, resulting in his pushing away his parent's faith. His teen years when he began to work outside his family's faith/mission, began his downward moral spiral of selfishness and deception toward his family, influenced by friends who promoted his immorality. Had his parents not been so pious, would he have reacted so extremely?

The inevitable (and literal) crash forced him to move away and hide his identity. While he was a "quick study" and had a decent work ethic, driven by his ambition, his formal education was weak. The social system that he worked and lived in kept him from achieving beyond the most menial jobs, but he had learned to take what opportunities were offered, despite moral ambiguity.

This questionable personality happened upon a wealthy uncle, who generously set him up with a job in his factory, but then delegated further interaction to be handled by his territorial and arrogant son. The social isolation of the time (both in society and absence of closer family/friends), led him to more poor choices (first a young female employee and then a socialite).

All of this lead up eventually gets to the point of the tale, which is then followed by the legal process. Clyde's justification for his actions is exhaustingly detailed, ensuring no sympathy from a reader and much pity for both women he dates. The defense attorney's tactics exemplify the less ethical approaches that perhaps are the reason this book is referred to as a "jeremiad". The wealthy uncle initially appears to want none of that type of defense, until considering the societal impact on his own wife and children. The interaction and opposing perspectives of the poor and the wealthy throughout the story highlights the unfairness of the system and mores of the era. ...more

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Jul 19, 2020 Michelle Bacon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-fiction, drieser-theodore

This is a very lengthy account of the life of Clyde Griffiths. Some sections of this tome seem to repeat itself to the point of annoyance, but it could be Dreiser trying to drive his point in. Clyde wants to be a playboy after his job in an upscale hotel in Chicago as a bellhop pays him handsomely. His co-workers introduce him to the world of sin: prostitution, gambling, alcohol, and theft.
We are introduced to many different aspects of Clyde's short life and the fatal choices he makes. A good c ...more

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