The Financier - (Trilogy of Desire) by Theodore Dreiser (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A ruthlessly ambitious mogul finds his life derailed by the financial panic of 1873 in this classic novel by the author of An American Tragedy.

Frank Cowperwood'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, Cowperwood walks on the edge--until the Great Chicago Fire and the financial panic that follows send him down a perilous path.

The Financier, the first in a trilogy, is based on the life of tycoon Charles Tyson Yerkes and provides both a glimpse into a fascinating period in American history and a timeless portrait of the dark side of human nature.

About the Author

The Indiana-born Dreiser (1871-1945) has never cut a dashing or romantic swath through American literature. He has no Pulitzer or Nobel Prize to signify his importance. Yet he remains for myriad reasons: his novels are often larger than life, rugged, and defy the norms of conventional morality and organized religion. They are unapologetic in their sexual candor--in fact, outrightly frank--and challenge even modern readers. The brooding force of Dreiser's writing casts a dark shadow across American letters. Here in An American Tragedy, Dreiser shows us the flip side of The American Dream in a gathering storm that echoes with all of the power and force of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. Inspired by the writings of Balzac and the ideas of Spenser and Freud, Dreiser went on to become one of America's best naturalist writers. An American Tragedy is testimony to the strength of Dreiser's work: it retains all of its original intensity and force.