Sunday June 26th, 2011 My Summer with Dreiser

Now that school for many students is coming to an end for the summer, many of us are faced with the question of how to spend our precious few months of freedom. For some, it will be a summer of relaxation and basking in the sun all day. Others see the summer as a great opportunity to pick up a good book. So why not make this summer the year you tackle some of the classical works of American literature. Who knows, maybe one of these will appear on your course syllabus next September.

I started my reading list with Theodore Dreiser's 'An American Tragedy'. Published in 1925, this epic crime novel about an ambitious but naive young man who gets caught up in the world of drugs, alcohol, and prostitution is regarded as one of the finest works of the twentieth century. 'Jennie Gerhardt', another work of Dreiser, and one of my favorite books, tells the simple story about love and family and how a young woman sacrifices her own happiness for that of others.

Some similar themes that I have found within Dreiser's works have also appeared in the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Many of us will have already read Fitzgerald's most famous work, 'The Great Gatsby'. For those unfamiliar with 'Gatsby', it explores the lives of four characters, including that of the mysterious and elusive Jay Gatsby and the notion of the American Dream.
One of Fitzgerald's darker works and his last publication until his death, is the 1934 novel 'Tender is the Night'. Written during a difficult period in his life, the story centers on an affluent couple who live in the south of France where they encounter love and hate, truth and deception, mystery and death. A fascinating novel that, like 'Gatsby', introduces a number of colorful characters placed in extraordinary circumstances. However Fitzgerald wasn't only a novelist. He is also well known for his work in short fiction, most notably the humorous 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', which was later produced into a film starring Brad Pitt in the title role.

William Faulkner’s 'As I Lay Dying' tells the story of one family's bizarre journey back to their hometown to bury their mother. As told by 15 different narrators, 'As I Lay Dying’ is considered the best work Faulkner has ever done and also contains the shortest chapter in literature history. Perhaps a future essay question lies within!


Finally, as you may have noticed, all the authors mentioned so far are all deceased, but a writer still alive today that draws comparison to the authors listed above is Cormac McCarthy. 'Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West', a sprawling western that takes place along the U.S and Mexico border, is about a teenage drifter and his involvement with the Glanton Gang. Soon, he encounters Judge Holden one of the most memorable and depraved villains I have ever read. McCarthy is well known for his unique writing style and introducing unforgettable characters. Remember the ruthless hitman, Anton Chigurh, from the film 'No Country for Old Men'? Well this film is a solid adaptation from the 2005 novel by McCarthy by the same name. McCarthy's prose has the ability to make your blood run cold.

Of course I have only skimmed the surface of classical American literature. Thunder Bay Public Library has hundreds of well known and beloved works of great fiction. So next time you’re in the neighborhood, come check out a timeless classic and be sure to impress your English professor next fall!

Petar Vidjen, Page