The Cost

Phillips, David Graham, 1867-1911Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 435K words
Chapters: 44

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Cost by David Graham PhillipsAuthor: Phillips, David Graham, 1867-1911,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Mar 1, 1996

Editor's review

The Cost is a novel by David Graham Phillips in the tradition of early twentieth-century American social realism. It centers on the tension between individual destiny and social structure, grounding the theme of "cost" in the choices and consequences of particular characters rather than in abstract preaching. Its value lies in rendering the social texture of an era: how business, class, family and personal ambition check one another, and how characters often pay unexpected costs for seemingly reasonable calculations. The narrative is panoramic and socially observant, with dense character relationships, and suits readers willing to follow long threads and engage with social issues. As you read, note how the author uses everyday detail to drive moral judgment and how complex his attitude toward his characters is; that is more rewarding than simply asking how it ends.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy early twentieth-century American social realist novels
Long-form readers interested in class, business and personal choice
Readers who want to see the landscape of public-domain American literature
Readers comfortable with multiple character threads and a slow buildup

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast pacing, strong suspense or genre plotting
Readers impatient with lengthy social background
Readers who want only short pieces or fragmented reading

Reading tips

First map the main characters' relationships and goals, then go into the details.
Proceed chapter by chapter, and after each part review how the characters' situations have changed.
Note the different senses of "cost"—financial, emotional and moral—as you read.
If the English is hard, read a reliable translation first for the plot, then return to the original for the language.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is The Cost suitable as an introduction to American literature?

It can serve as supplementary reading for understanding early twentieth-century American social realism, but it is not the lightest place to start. The book has many characters and thick social background, and requires some patience with long narrative. If you have already read social fiction of the same period, you will enter the context more easily; complete beginners might start with shorter works.

What themes does the book mainly discuss?

At its core is the tension between personal choice and social structure: through characters' positions in business, family and class, it shows how seemingly reasonable pursuits bring unexpected consequences. "Cost" means both economic gain and loss and emotional and moral expenditure. Do not rush to a single conclusion; the author prefers to present complex situations rather than simple judgments.

What if I get confused by too many characters?

In the first few chapters, jot down each character's name, identity and relationships, and note their interests. Social realist novels often unfold along multiple lines, and the relationships are themselves part of the content. By the middle the threads gradually converge, and your notes will help you recall quickly without flipping back.

Will the lack of notes in the electronic edition hinder understanding?

The book comes from a public-domain ebook project; the text is in English and usually has no notes or introduction. General plot understanding will not suffer much, but details about the social institutions, business environment or regional background of the time may need looking up. Use software with a dictionary and search key background when it matters, rather than checking every point, so as not to break the reading rhythm.

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About the author

Phillips, David Graham, 1867-1911 Author

David Graham Phillips (1867–1911) was an American novelist. Twelve of his works are held in this collection, including Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise, The Plum Tree, The Second Generation, The Cost, The Price She Paid, The Grain of Dust, The Fortune Hunter and The Fashionable Adventures of Joshua Craig. Public information about him is limited, and the details of his life are difficult to verify, but these works show that he used fiction to engage with social realities, often centering on wealth, class, marriage and the fate of women. His writing has a critical edge, with carefully developed plots and a realistic style that reflects the manners of his time and comments on its social problems. Susan Lenox in particular shows his sustained concern with the lives of women.