An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
This classic novel explores the dark side of the American Dream through the story of a young man who, despite his humble beginnings, aspires to climb the social ladder. He becomes involved with two women, one wealthy and one from a working-class background. His ambition and desire for status lead him to commit a crime that ultimately results in his downfall. The novel is a stark examination of the destructive power of unchecked ambition and the moral compromises people are willing to make in pursuit of wealth and status.
The 157th greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 1986
This book was first published in 1925
21 Lists
- score: 194 -- "Our Readable Century", The Best Books of the 20th Century - 2000 (Weight: 176)
- score: 184 -- Världsbiblioteket (The World Library) - 1991 (Weight: 184)
- score: 154 -- The 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century - 1999 (Weight: 152)
- score: 128 -- Finest Works of Fiction - 1980 (Weight: 128)
- score: 116 -- The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels - 1999 (Weight: 112)
- score: 112 -- Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels - 1998 (Weight: 112)
- score: 112 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 112)
- score: 112 -- The Great American Novels - 2024 (Weight: 112)
- score: 112 -- Inteliquest's World's 100 Greatest Books of All-Time - 1993 (Weight: 112)
- score: 104 -- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels - 2005 (Weight: 104)
- score: 95 -- Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels - 2013 (Weight: 92)
- score: 92 -- 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction - 1999 (Weight: 92)
- score: 72 -- The Complete 500: OCLC - 2024 (Weight: 72)
- score: 68 -- The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time - 2004 (Weight: 68)
- score: 68 -- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers - 2002 (Weight: 68)
- score: 60 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon - 1994 (Weight: 60)
- score: 44 -- A Response to David Handlin’s “One Hundred Best American Novels” - 2014 (Weight: 44)
- score: 44 -- The Dream of the Great American Novel - 2014 (Weight: 44)
- score: 40 -- 101 of the World's Greatest Books (1950) - 1950 (Weight: 68)
- score: 36 -- Nancy Pearl's 100 Good Reads, Decade by Decade - 2009 (Weight: 36)
- score: 36 -- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 - 2013 (Weight: 36)