Books with title An American Tragedy

HB and DJ see my photos. Title: An American Tragedy. Author: Theodore Dreiser. Publisher: Word Publishing Company. Illustrated by Grant Raynard, Introduction by H.L. Mencken. Copyrts: 1925 by Horace Liverright, Inc., 1926 Theodore Dreiser,special contents to this book by World Publishing Company,Manufactured in United States of America. English language. 874 pages. 8.1 by 5.5 by 1.6.

Plot summary[edit]The ambitious but ill-educated, illusioned, and immature Clyde Griffiths is raised by poor and devoutly religious parents who force him to participate in their street missionary work, and on reaching young adulthood takes low-status jobs as a soda jerk and then as a bellhop at a top Kansas City hotel. There, his more sophisticated colleagues introduce him to alcohol and prostitutes. Clyde enjoys his new lifestyle and becomes infatuated with the mercenary Hortense Briggs, who exploits this characteristic of Clyde by compelling him to buy her an expensive jacket in exchange for love, even though she clearly does not want him to be her partner. Hortense instead wants another person named Sparser, and this is clear to Clyde who is immediately and extremely jealous, but Hortense repeatedly reassures Clyde that she loves him, though she really wants him just for the jacket. Later, Clyde's life changes dramatically when Sparser, driving a stolen vehicle with everybody inside (including Clyde's colleagues), runs over a little girl and kills her, and then, trying to flee from the police, crashes into an object, and everybody inside but Sparser and his partner are still conscious and flee. This cycle of unfortunate events is bound to repeat later in the story with Clyde and another girl, later resulting in the novel being a tragedy. Clyde flees Kansas City, and while working as bellboy at an exclusive club in Chicago, he meets his wealthy uncle Samuel Griffiths, the owner of a shirtcollar factory in the fictional Lycurgus, New York. Samuel, feeling guilt for neglecting his poor relations, offers to help Clyde if he will come to Lycurgus. When Clyde does so he gives him first a menial, then a supervisory job at the collar factory, while not accepting him into the Griffiths' upper-class social circle. It is made clear to Clyde that as a Griffiths, he should not consort with the working people of Lycurgus, and specifically with the women under his supervision.

Based on a true story, this novel depicts Clyde Griffith's revolt against the poverty and missionary zeal of his parents in pursuit of job advancement, acceptance in society and women. When his pregnant girlfriend's body is found floating in a lake, Clyde is ensnared by the law. His ensuing trial is vividly depicted in this haunting, sometimes horrific tale. (Twenty-five CDs)