Sister Carrie (by Theodore Dreiser)
I'm reading Devil in the White City, and there's a Sister Carrie reference, so I figured I'd read it. It's less about Chicago (the characters end up in New York) and more about the time and place. There's a lot about capitalism, the whole sex-money power exchange, and a woman trying to assert her independence. Some of the themes are misogynistic but I couldn't help liking the end, since I hated, hated, hated Huntsworth. Or Huntwood. Or whatever his name was. I've forgotten already!
In conclusion, eh. It's on the Modern Library list only, so you know it's a slightly sexist book by a dead white guy, and probably not a must-read. Not a must-read.
"When Caroline Meeber boarded the afternoon train for Chicago, her total outfit consisted of a small truck, a cheap imitation alligator-skin satchel, a small lunch in a paper box, and a yellow leather snap purse, containing her ticket, a scrap of paper with her sister's address in Van Buren Street, and four dollars in money." (Page 1)
In conclusion, eh. It's on the Modern Library list only, so you know it's a slightly sexist book by a dead white guy, and probably not a must-read. Not a must-read.
"When Caroline Meeber boarded the afternoon train for Chicago, her total outfit consisted of a small truck, a cheap imitation alligator-skin satchel, a small lunch in a paper box, and a yellow leather snap purse, containing her ticket, a scrap of paper with her sister's address in Van Buren Street, and four dollars in money." (Page 1)
1 Comments:
"Huntsworth. Or Huntwood." Hee! I think it's actually Hurstwood. Apparently there are two versions of this book - the one that has been out for years and years was somewhat bowdlerized. According to my professor (I took a Wharton and Dreiser class last spring), a "less censored" version came out more recently. However, we read the older one in class. I thought the part about what happened to Hurstwood was pretty interesting because it showed exactly how someone becomes homeless.
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