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red1176's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! Stunning and a masterpiece. It took me a long time to get through this book; almost two weeks! It's a looong book, 34 hours long, but by the time I reached the end, I was astounded at the skill of the author. How does one write a book, convincingly, that leads us through the life and internal dialog of a boy/man who commits (or doesn't really) commit murder? The fact that it was based on a real case made it all the more interesting. I'm so glad I read this classic. It's in my top five favorite books for 2023.
nataalia_sanchez's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bookworm42's review against another edition
3.0
The story is interesting enough but its too drawn out. Also the main characters is VERY unlikable as far as I'm concerned, that makes is really hard for me to feel remotely conflicted. This is mostly a concern because the central theme of the book is surrounding whether or not the main character is guilty...indifference is not ideal.
callalily112's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted so much to enjoy this book. The content is something I would normally not care to spend a whole novel digesting but I heard great things about how Dreiser makes the narrative exciting and draws a person in. This was not the case for me. Dreiser does have a way of painting a word picture that makes a talented author, however, you lose that beauty because it just drones on. I don't know how many times I said to myself "just get on with it already!" It took me a year to get through this an in the end I was just reading it to finish it. For those that want to read it, please do! It shows a different side to the way American culture drives our human condition. This novel has great value as part of American literature. Just be prepared to muddle though it.
mhlanghoff's review against another edition
2.0
I like fiction that plausibly shows how ordinary people who are not essentially evil can be driven to do terrible things, and An American Tragedy pulls it off. That said, Dreiser's tangled syntax and verbosity can sometimes make him painful to read, and by the time I reached page 900 or so my interest had begun to flag.
sillienelson's review against another edition
He's been called "the worst great writer" for a reason. If you love sentences like I do, it can be difficult to get through. But by the time it's said and done, those poor sentences have made a good novel. It's hella long, but moral decline rarely happens lickety-split.
looshapoosha's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it. I laughed, I cried. Well, I didn't laugh. See title for why.
suksygurl_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0