I took a course on 19th century American Literature, which the professor described as a study of the "B sides" of the century's literature, including the penny dreadfuls of the early part of the century. "An American Tragedy" was the 20th century version answer to the B sides--that is, there is no comparison between Dreiser and his "A side" contemporaries. Nor is it a credit to his editor, as it could have been improved marginally by cutting a third or even half of the book, especially the long, redundant, tedious musings throughout.

There is nothing redeeming in the character of Clyde Griffiths. He is, at heart, self-serving character, which in and of itself is not offensive, but when combined with the meandering and undecided message of the book, becomes terminal. The narrator or authorial voice seems to throw out a number of possible messages which the reader can take away and must decide for him or herself, rather than presenting a cohesive message. There could be value in letting the reader come to conclusions on his or her own, but only if well executed. Here, it is not...Dresier seems to be undecided on his main character, religion, the value of women and sex. In fact, at times, it seems the authorial voice, along with Clyde, blames both of the latter for Clyde's ultimate decline. Even in the end, Clyde feels victimized by how others react to him, rather than realizing his fate is the result of his own actions and selfishness.

The final chapter has some redeeming qualities, as far as quality of writing goes, but even here Dreiser's muddled messages retract from what could have been a strength. Is this entire "epic" a diatribe against the death penalty? A Christian manifesto? It's unclear, thus leaving the reader quite frustrated with the purpose of the novel.