An American Tragedy

Though most of the factory girls who make our clothes are now overseas, Dreiser's themes of social inequality, evangelical Christianity, the death penalty, and access to birth control and abortion are disquietingly familiar today. Dreiser (who partied with anarchist Emma Goldman) is sensitive and unsparing in his exploration of these issues. Protagonist Clyde Griffiths would probably make the list of "fifty boyfriends worse than yours," but narrator Dan John Miller gives him the necessary charm to make his story credible. The book drags a bit near the end, but is memorable overall.

Great story, perfectly delivered. Add to your top 100 list of all-time great pieces of literature.

I highly recommend this book.

Chris Reich

This book had me glued to my seat on the subway. I knew what was going to happen, but the transformation of the main character from an easygoing victim of circumstance to a reluctant murderer was fascinating.

My favorite character was Roberta Alden whom I felt sorry for and who epitomized for me the tragedy of this book. Clyde Griffiths was too flawed a character for me to consider tragic.

The narrator did a great job with Clyde and Roberta, but also was outstanding with the district attourney and Roberta's father. His voice is able to pinpoint the role of the character. I haven't even finished this book, but so far every character is portrayed with authenticity.

It is too big for one sitting, but whenever I had spare time, my mp3 player was on to this book.

By all means, buy the book from audible. Dreiser may have some shortcomings with his prose. He is not as elegant as Trollope, but the narrator brings it right to the emotions. My best books in audible are those that get me emotionally stirred whether joyfully or sadly. This is one of those books.

Lovers of DH Lawrence may enjoy this book. I however, found it to be just insufferable. I am not sure if it is the narrator but I think it is the story. For instance a woman tries to get our hero to buy her a fur coat with the promise of “favours”. This takes approximately an hour to reach it’s conclusion. A description of a factory in which our hero will work takes approximately half an hour to describe. If this added to the story, giving the reader/listener a sense of time or place I could forgive it. But it doesn’t. This book is so boring it “could put fish to sleep”.

I would listen to this book again. I really enjoyed the story. I particularly appreciate the fact that Dreiser had the courage to have an anti-hero play the main character in the story. The plot completely surprised me.

I enjoy listening to stories that completly catch me off guard, especially when they are realistic. This book in particular achieved this.

Miller is a good narrator. His reading fit the story.

I listen to books at work on a daily basis - I would look forward to listening to this book so I could find out what would happen next. There were many lines in the book that made me laugh out loud.

An american Tragedy and Sister Carrie (also by Dreiser) are excellent books. I will listen to other books by Theodore Dreiser

Couldn't get past the first dozen chapters. The narration is really good, but the story is slow and the writing is monotonous. Bleech. Not my cup of tea.

You really get inside the characters heads. You know what they are thinking, feeling and planning.

The ambitious but immature Clyde Griffiths infatuation for Hortense Briggs is the start of his downfall. I could relate to his situation when this happen and it really 'rang a bell' for me.

Easy to read, a pleasure to listen to, the writing stands out as exemplars of pathos in modern literature. This book should be studied for students of literature for many years.

A long story about a man who didn't develop a character.
I found it well-written and well-spoken, sympathetic.

Clyde Griffiths, an ambitious social climber with grave personal flaw, fell in and out of love with an adoring factory girl, but has to abandon his moral anchor when the opportunity of fortune and status avail itself in the affection of an upper-class dame. Affectingly developed characters, biographical realism and a simple, linear yet encompassing plot line lend this fiction its masterpiece mantle.

Dan John Miller gave a titillating narrating performance.

In high school we were told that this novel ranked with Moby Dick as "THE Great American Novel." I'm glad I finally got to it in my old age! Well, Moby Dick may be a greater novel, but it is much harder to read. This book flows and unfolds like a soap opera and really held my interest to the end. Dan John Miller is a wonderful reader. He can do voices -- children, regional accents, and is able to give each character a different voice. I highly recommend this novel.

The hero of the book is Clyde, and this book is a sort of coming-of-age for him. Hwe seems all too real as he changes from the obedient son of a street preacher into a ruthless man. That may be a spoiler, so I don't want to say any more.

Clyde

yes, but it is a long one!