The Genius cover

The Genius

Rating 3.8
Word count
1.7M words
Chapters
169

Tags

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 "Genius" by Theodore DreiserAuthor: Dreiser, Theodore, 1871-1945,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Mar 30, 2010

Editor's review

The Genius is one of Dreiser's major works, telling the story of a young man of artistic talent whose life rises and falls under the drive of desire and ambition. It continues Dreiser's deep insight into human complexity, using a realist method to present the tension between individual talent and social environment. This English-language eBook from Project Gutenberg is complete and easy to obtain, making it a suitable reading sample of American naturalist literature. Readers can observe how Dreiser refracts the spirit of the age through his characters' fates and ponder his questions about morality, desire, and success. Read at a slower pace, attending to shifts in psychology and narrative detail rather than rushing the plot. For students of American literature or those wanting a deeper grasp of Dreiser's creative development, it is a work worth close reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers interested in American naturalist literature
  • Literary scholars who wish to study one of Dreiser's major works
  • Advanced students able to read English originals
  • Readers who enjoy realist narratives of character and fate

Not a good fit for

  • Readers who prefer light entertainment fiction
  • Readers with weak English who need a Chinese translation
  • Readers expecting fast-paced, plot-driven stories

Reading tips

  1. Learn about the American social background of Dreiser's time before entering the text.
  2. Watch the protagonist's psychological shifts and note key turns and motives as you go.
  3. Read it against other naturalist works to grasp the features of the movement.
  4. For the English original, set a fixed daily amount and work through it gradually with a dictionary.

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.

Contents

  1. 1
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FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or English?
According to the data, it is an English-language eBook released by Project Gutenberg, in English, classified under American and Canadian literature. Readers need some English reading ability; for Chinese reading, look for a separate Chinese translation to compare.
Can I read this without having read other Dreiser works?
Yes. It is a standalone novel and does not depend on prior works. Still, Dreiser's realist style and narrative pacing have their own character; newcomers may benefit from learning about his background first to enter the text more quickly.
What should I keep in mind when reading the eBook?
This is a public-domain eBook; choose reading software with clear typesetting and be careful to save your progress. Since it is an English original, pair it with a dictionary tool, slow down on long sentences, and avoid letting language barriers get in the way of understanding the characters and plot.

Comments

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About the author

Theodore Dreiser Author · American · 1871–1945

Theodore Dreiser (1871–1945) was a representative novelist of American naturalism, born into a poor German immigrant family in Terre Haute, Indiana. He worked as a journalist and editor in his early years, and in 1900 he published Sister Carrie, which provoked controversy for its bold subject matter. He later wrote Jennie Gerhardt, The Financier, The Titan and other works. His novels usually portray characters struggling under the sway of environment and desire in a cool, detached style, revealing the pressure industrial society exerts on individuals. The collection holds seven of his works, including Sister Carrie, The Financier, Jennie Gerhardt, The Titan, Twelve Men and The Genius. Dreiser died in Hollywood in 1945.

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