Book #1 in Theodore Dreiser’s Trilogy of Desire
Book #1 in Theodore Dreiser’s Trilogy of DesireTheodore Dreiser’s absorbing Trilogy of Desire weaves a tale of twentieth-century American capitalism through the rise and fall of aspiring mogul, Frank Cowperwood.Frank’s story begins at an auction sale in Philadelphia, where an unassuming bid for seven cases of soap quickly makes him a large personal gain in just one day. Having grown up among the ruthlessness and glamour of the Gilded age, Frank finds he has a taste for turning a profit, no matter who gets in his way.Embarking on a life of callous stock brokering, shady political intrigue, sordid crimes, and passionate affairs, this first chapter in Frank Cowperwood’s life highlights Theodore Dreiser’s keen ability to merge drama with sharp historical insight.
Theodore Dreiser
Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser (1871-1945) was an American novelist and journalist best known for his pioneer work in the naturalist school. His writing often portrays characters whose strength lies not in their moral code or ethics, but instead in their absolute persistence as they are confronted by all obstacles; their unwillingness to yield. These are situations that more closely resemble studies of nature than tales of choice and agency.Dreiser's first commercial success was An American Tragedy (1925), which was made into a film in 1931 and again in 1951 (as A Place in the Sun).Literary critic Irving Howe said of Dreiser that he was, "among the American giants, one of the very few American giants we have had," and one of Dreiser's chief advocates during his lifetime was H.L. Mencken who said, "that he is a great artist, and that no other American of his generation left so wide and handsome a mark upon the national letters."
