Book #3 in Theodore Dreiser’s Trilogy of Desire
Theodore Dreiser’s absorbing Trilogy of Desire weaves a tale of twentieth-century American capitalism through the rise and fall of aspiring mogul, Frank Cowperwood.
Caught at a financial impasse and in an increasingly-complicated love triangle, Frank heads across the sea to London, England for a chance to develop a new underground railway system. Though still married to his estranged wife, Aileen, he has found a new paramour in Berenice—among others.
Doing what he does best, Frank puts his plans in motion to conquer London’s transportation market guaranteeing the lion’s share of the profits for himself. However, as his age begins to catch up with him, an illness makes it clear these are the last years of his life. In his final chapter, Frank must negotiate personal and financial challenges to make his lasting mark on the world.
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."
