An American Tragedy (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Ambition, Desire, Crime, and Moral Collapse in Early Twentieth-Century American Naturalist FictionBy Theodore Dreiser
Length41h 34m
About this audiobook
An American Tragedy is Theodore Dreiser's monumental naturalist novel of ambition, desire, and moral collapse in early twentieth-century America. Through the fate of Clyde Griffiths, a poor young man seduced by wealth, status, and erotic possibility, Dreiser examines the social machinery that shapes individual choice. His prose is deliberate, documentary, and accumulative, placing the novel within American literary naturalism alongside works concerned with determinism, capitalism, and the limits of personal agency. Dreiser, born in 1871 to a large, impoverished Midwestern family, knew intimately the pressures of class aspiration and social exclusion. His journalistic career sharpened his attention to factual detail and sensational crime, and An American Tragedy was inspired partly by the real Chester Gillette murder case. Dreiser's skepticism toward conventional morality and his sympathy for socially conditioned human weakness inform the novel's somber ethical vision. This book is recommended to readers interested in psychologically serious fiction, social critique, and the darker promises of the American Dream. Though expansive and often austere, it rewards patient reading with a profound study of guilt, illusion, and a society that manufactures longing before condemning its consequences.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics, General Fiction
Length41 hrs 34 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJun 17, 2018
LanguageEnglish
The Financier (Annotated)Theodore Dreiser23h 19m$2 · $0.00
Sister Carrie (Annotated)Theodore Dreiser20h 2m$2 · $0.00
The Stoic (Annotated)Theodore Dreiser15h 32m$2 · $0.00
TRILOGY OF DESIRE - The Financier, The Titan & The Stoic (Annotated)Theodore Dreiser58h 58m$3 · $0.00
THEODORE DREISER: Novels, Short Stories, Essays & Biographical Works (Annotated)Theodore Dreiser200h 24m$2 · $0.00
The Desire Trilogy (Annotated)Theodore Dreiser58h 58m$2 · $0.00
The Greatest Novels of Theodore Dreiser (Annotated)Theodore Dreiser164h 30m$2 · $0.00
Jennie Gerhardt (Annotated)Theodore Dreiser16h 15m$2 · $0.00
Hey Rub-a-dub-dub: A Book of the Mystery and Wonder and Terror of LifeTheodore Dreiser11h 3m$2 · $0.00
THEODORE DREISER: Novels, Short Stories, Essays & Biographical WorksTheodore Dreiser200h 29m$1 · $0.00
A Traveler at FortyTheodore Dreiser18h 32m$2 · $0.00
The Color of a Great CityTheodore Dreiser6h 58m$1 · $0.00
The Collected Works of Theodore DreiserTheodore Dreiser200h 36m$1 · $0.00
The Desire TrilogyTheodore Dreiser58h 54m$1 · $0.00
Schwester CarrieTheodore Dreiser20h 20m$2 · $0.00
The Collected Works of Theodore Dreiser (Annotated)Theodore Dreiser200h 24m$2 · $0.00
Gesammelte WerkeTheodore Dreiser179h 25m$2 · $0.00
The TitanTheodore Dreiser18h 5m$1 · $0.00
The FinancierTheodore Dreiser21h 1m$1 · $0.00
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate CollectionArthur Conan Doyle59h 49m$5 · $0.00
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: All 214 Plays, Sonnets, Poems & Apocryphal Plays (Including the Biography of the Author) (Annotated)William Shakespeare156h 38m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Novels, Short Stories and Autobiographical WritingsFyodor Dostoyevsky270h 59m$2 · $0.00
The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America (Annotated)Howard Irving Chapelle, Tappan Adney13h 10m$2 · $0.00
Charles Dickens: Complete Works (Annotated)Charles Dickens819h 4m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of Jane Austen & Brontë Sisters (Annotated)Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë203h 52m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works: Charlotte, Emily, Anne, Patrick & Branwell BrontëCharlotte Brontë, Anne Brontë, Emily Brontë138h 12m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde (Annotated)Oscar Wilde126h 19m$2 · $0.00
L. M. Montgomery – Premium Collection: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry & MemoirsLucy Maud Montgomery155h 1m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works of the Brontë Family Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë140h 13m$2 · $0.00
MARK TWAIN: 12 Novels, 195 Short Stories, Autobiography, 10 Travel Books, 160+ Essays & Speeches (Illustrated)Mark Twain415h 9m5.0 (2)$2 · $0.00
This Side of Paradise - The Original 1920 Edition (Annotated)F. Scott Fitzgerald11h 30m$2 · $0.00
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m$18 · $0.00
All NovelsGeorge Orwell53h 48m$10 · $0.00
The Complete Works of TolstoyLeo Tolstoy412h 44m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Louisa May Alcott (Annotated)Louisa May Alcott226h 24m$2 · $0.00
Sherlock Holmes series - completeArthur Conan54h 8m$3.50 · $0.00
The Fire Next TimeJames Baldwin2h 25m$15
The Count of Monte Cristo (With Original Illustrations)Alexandre Dumas54h$1 · $0.00
H. P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction (Annotated)H. P. Lovecraft50h 45m$2 · $0.00
RiversnowTess Thompson8h 11m$20
Supreme ClienteleAshley & JaQuavis8h 58m$20
Body Refinement in a Beast Tamer’s World, Book 1Seth Ring14h 7m$27
EmberJeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews13h 58m$23
The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Unabridged)Jane Austen88h 8m5.0 (1)$1 · $0.00
Desperate MeasuresBrenda Jackson8h 59m5.0 (1)$28 · $0.00
Searching For ThanksgivingS.E. Smith4h 24m$20
Naughty 4Brenda Hampton7h 30m$17
The Dance with Me TrilogyShelley Shepard Gray21h 44m$35
Anne Shirley (Complete 14 Book Collection)Lucy Maud Montgomery125h 28m$2 · $0.00
The DopemanJaQuavis Coleman5h 25m$20
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate CollectionArthur Conan Doyle59h 49m$5 · $0.00
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.3 (18)$29 · $0.00
Grand Opening 2Carl Weber9h 16m$20
Sons of Valor II: Violence of ActionBrian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson12h 34m$23
Malevolent MagicMildred Abbott7h 13m$17
Bikes, Toys, and Hot BoyzGenesis Woods, Shantaé13h 9m$23
This Side of Paradise - The Original 1920 Edition (Annotated)F. Scott Fitzgerald11h 30m$2 · $0.00
War LordBernard Cornwell13h 21m$33 · $0.00
Ghetto BastardK’wan7h 37m$20
You may also like
Power & BeautyTip 'T.I.' Harris, David Ritz10h 53m$29 · $0.00
Worse Than EnemiesJ. L. Beck8h 47m$20
Rich GirlsKendall Banks7h 49m$20
The CounterfeitersAndré Gide13h 8m$2.40
Bad Dreams and Other StoriesTessa Hadley5h 51m$24 · $0.00
These Violent DelightsMicah Nemerever14h 13m$33 · $0.00
Ugly GirlsLindsay Hunter8h 19m$17 · $0.00
Criminal MindedTracy Brown10h 28m$20
Love's Home Box SetIyana Jenna8h 29m$6.50 · $0.00
The Best of F. Scott Fitzgerald (Annotated)Francis Scott Fitzgerald56h 31m$2 · $0.00
By Honour BoundBessie Marchant6h 37m$2 · $0.00
The Magnificent Esme WellsAdrienne Sharp10h 36m$29 · $0.00
PrivilegeMary Adkins11h 6m$29 · $0.00
Clean PointMeg Jones11h 34m$29 · $0.00
The GraduateCharles Webb6h 6m$14
Car TroubleRobert Rorke12h 1m$29 · $0.00
The ClubTakis Würger5h 24m$20 · $0.00
A Fair MaidenJoyce Carol Oates5h 36m$20 · $0.00
Girls from da Hood 8Treasure Hernandez, Natalie Weber6h 35m$20
The Finishing SchoolMuriel Spark3h 14m$12 · $0.00