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Trilogy of desire: Three novels
Three novels of Frank Cowperwood's quest for power and wealth through the use of financial acumen from mid-19th to early 20th century. Cowperwood is the model of a "Robber Baron."
1365 pages, Hardcover
First published July 13, 1972
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About the author
Theodore Dreiser
471 books924 followersNaturalistic novels of American writer and editor Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser portray life as a struggle against ungovernable forces. Value of his portrayed characters lies in their persistence against all obstacles, not their moral code, and literary situations more closely resemble studies of nature than tales of choice and agency; this American novelist and journalist so pioneered the naturalist school.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore...
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December 2, 2011"It is a thinly fictionalized account of the life of Charles Yerkes, a 19th century street-car magnate, creator of the original Chicago Loop, and a major benefactor of the University of Chicago. The story takes place in the 1870s and 1880s and involves insider trading, government loans to banks, and brokers and insurance companies failing and causing financial panic. Just what you need to get away from the headlines of today." - Douglas Baird
September 23, 2021
WARNING: Mild spoilers ahead.
It is difficult to call the Trilogy of Desire fiction. Theodore Dreiser tells the story of Frank Algernon Cowperwood in a hyper-realistic, naturalist style. The three books read like an autobiography, a journalistic piece, or a work of objective scientific observation. In a sense, the trilogy is indeed a biography as it is heavily based on the real-life American financier Charles Yerkes. Dreiser conducted enormous amounts of research ranging from the reading of contemporary newspaper articles to interviews in the field. This investigative approach allows for in depth immersion into the 19th century beginnings of industrialism in America. The author guides the reader by hand through this curious time, presenting the society and locations in minute detail, and introducing the reader to the men and women who acted as the engines behind the economic giant that America would become.
At first, the narrative seems to embody a decisive triumph of objective naturalism—aesthetics and moralism completely disregarded. Frank A. Cowperwood, an unapologetic individualist, making his way across the tumultuous world, concerned only about his own desires; Dreiser makes no effort to judge, only to observe. The intricate details of upper-class social life, the workings of business and politics are all so well described that the trilogy can be considered a guide to becoming a self-made millionaire, way ahead of its time. The author doesn’t simply tell the reader that Cowperwood is a financial genius, he shows you. The events described consistently feel real, probably because they are, but one can only take so much inspiration from reality. Dreiser’s imaginative prowess shines especially in his construction of dialogue. Every line is filled with personality and no two characters sound the same. As you read on, it also become increasingly clear that the trilogy is not entirely devoid of aesthetics. All characters, no matter how minor, are masterfully presented, painting a clear mental and physical portrait in the reader’s mind. Here are a couple of quotations to let you get a taste:
“Mrs. Sohlberg was like the rich tinted interior of a South Sea oyster-shell—warm, colorful, delicate. But there was something firm there, too. Nowhere in society has he seen anyone like her. She was rapt, sensuous, beautiful.”
“He was a large, meaty, oily type of man—a kind of ambling, gelatinous formula of the male, with the usual sound commercial instincts of the Jew, but with an errant philosophy which led him to believe first one thing and then another so long as neither interfered definitely with his business.”
“Even at seventeen she stood up and out with an inexplicable superiority which brought her the feverish and exotic attention of lesser personalities whose emotional animality found an outlet in swinging a censer at her shrine […] she was deeply conscious of herself, her sex, her significance, her possible social import. Armed with a fair skin, a few freckles, an almost too high color at times, strange, deep, night-blue, cat-like eyes, a long nose, a rather pleasant mouth, perfect teeth, and a really good chin, she moved always with a feline grace that was careless, superior, sinuous, and yet the acme of harmony and a rhythmic flow of lines.”
Dreiser presents us with one of the best examples of omniscient narration in literature. There is no internal monologue, no stream of consciousness. Thoughts, events, and feelings are described by an all-seeing eye. While it is undoubtably captivating to observe Cowperwood’s exciting life and increasingly more daring endeavors, at times I felt that the protagonist was shallow in a philosophical sense. His reflections on life are facile and his only spiritual belief seems to be in the romantic impetus that drives one person into the embrace of another. Then again, if naturalism is the guiding principle, it is not the author’s task to infuse a character with excessive philosophizing if the character himself is not disposed to any such ideas.
Unlike many other reviewers, I did not find Mr. Cowperwood such an anti-hero. When compared to the people he encounters along his journey, Cowperwood’s Machiavellian ways seem more than justified. A trace of sympathy for Cowperwood’s outlook on life certainly permeates the prose. All guardians of morality throughout the three novels are presented as deeply flawed, exonerating the protagonist in the eyes of the reader through their own sins. To me it felt like Dreiser, through Cowperwood, was arguing against carefully constructed strawmen. This is perhaps my only major criticism. I really wish that Cowperwood’s uncompromising individualism was challenged by a more profound philosophical outlook rather than a series of virtue signaling religious hypocrites. Similarly, his views on love and infidelity are rarely confronted by any of his countless women. Regardless of how severe the betrayal, how much pain Cowperwood inflicts, women consistently forgive and continue loving him, subduing their own desires in favor of his. I kept waiting for someone to outplay him romantically, but this never happened in any meaningful way. At the same time, Dreiser skillfully and subtly brings attention to the character flaws of Cowperwood’s women such as Aileen’s self-destructive and all-consuming fury or Berenice’s blissful unawareness of the life around her. While less visibly wrong than Cowperwood’s infidelity, they serve to highlight how unhappiness and conflict originates in the unique expressions of the individual rather than inherent evil.
In fact, this idea of individual expression and adaptation in life appears to be the fundamental message of the trilogy. Dreiser reveals as much in a short excerpt titled “Concerning Mycteroperca Bonaci” at the end of The Financier. Taking the Black Grouper as a metaphorical example he asks rhetorically: If the creative power of life wills that which is tricky and deceptive in its design of the world, why should human beings be restricted by truth and virtue? “Why were these beatitudes dreamed of and how do they avail?”
Unfortunately, Dreiser did not live to complete the trilogy. The Stoic, the third and final entry, was published posthumously in an almost-complete state. Mrs. Dreiser wrote the final chapter from the remaining notes of her husband. However, a conclusive summary in the form of a soliloquy which “would have left no doubt in the mind of the readers as to his conception of life, strength and weaknesses, wealth and poverty, good and evil,” never made it on the page. We can only guess what this ultimate message might have been, but it is well worth reading the trilogy and deciding for yourself. Regardless of where you stand in life, you are certain to learn a lot about people and society from Dreiser’s wonderful work. Proceed carefully though, as I was warned by one of my friends who initially recommended that I read about Cowperwood’s adventures, “in the end, you might feel like you have lost a friend.” I must say that I certainly do.
It is difficult to call the Trilogy of Desire fiction. Theodore Dreiser tells the story of Frank Algernon Cowperwood in a hyper-realistic, naturalist style. The three books read like an autobiography, a journalistic piece, or a work of objective scientific observation. In a sense, the trilogy is indeed a biography as it is heavily based on the real-life American financier Charles Yerkes. Dreiser conducted enormous amounts of research ranging from the reading of contemporary newspaper articles to interviews in the field. This investigative approach allows for in depth immersion into the 19th century beginnings of industrialism in America. The author guides the reader by hand through this curious time, presenting the society and locations in minute detail, and introducing the reader to the men and women who acted as the engines behind the economic giant that America would become.
At first, the narrative seems to embody a decisive triumph of objective naturalism—aesthetics and moralism completely disregarded. Frank A. Cowperwood, an unapologetic individualist, making his way across the tumultuous world, concerned only about his own desires; Dreiser makes no effort to judge, only to observe. The intricate details of upper-class social life, the workings of business and politics are all so well described that the trilogy can be considered a guide to becoming a self-made millionaire, way ahead of its time. The author doesn’t simply tell the reader that Cowperwood is a financial genius, he shows you. The events described consistently feel real, probably because they are, but one can only take so much inspiration from reality. Dreiser’s imaginative prowess shines especially in his construction of dialogue. Every line is filled with personality and no two characters sound the same. As you read on, it also become increasingly clear that the trilogy is not entirely devoid of aesthetics. All characters, no matter how minor, are masterfully presented, painting a clear mental and physical portrait in the reader’s mind. Here are a couple of quotations to let you get a taste:
“Mrs. Sohlberg was like the rich tinted interior of a South Sea oyster-shell—warm, colorful, delicate. But there was something firm there, too. Nowhere in society has he seen anyone like her. She was rapt, sensuous, beautiful.”
“He was a large, meaty, oily type of man—a kind of ambling, gelatinous formula of the male, with the usual sound commercial instincts of the Jew, but with an errant philosophy which led him to believe first one thing and then another so long as neither interfered definitely with his business.”
“Even at seventeen she stood up and out with an inexplicable superiority which brought her the feverish and exotic attention of lesser personalities whose emotional animality found an outlet in swinging a censer at her shrine […] she was deeply conscious of herself, her sex, her significance, her possible social import. Armed with a fair skin, a few freckles, an almost too high color at times, strange, deep, night-blue, cat-like eyes, a long nose, a rather pleasant mouth, perfect teeth, and a really good chin, she moved always with a feline grace that was careless, superior, sinuous, and yet the acme of harmony and a rhythmic flow of lines.”
Dreiser presents us with one of the best examples of omniscient narration in literature. There is no internal monologue, no stream of consciousness. Thoughts, events, and feelings are described by an all-seeing eye. While it is undoubtably captivating to observe Cowperwood’s exciting life and increasingly more daring endeavors, at times I felt that the protagonist was shallow in a philosophical sense. His reflections on life are facile and his only spiritual belief seems to be in the romantic impetus that drives one person into the embrace of another. Then again, if naturalism is the guiding principle, it is not the author’s task to infuse a character with excessive philosophizing if the character himself is not disposed to any such ideas.
Unlike many other reviewers, I did not find Mr. Cowperwood such an anti-hero. When compared to the people he encounters along his journey, Cowperwood’s Machiavellian ways seem more than justified. A trace of sympathy for Cowperwood’s outlook on life certainly permeates the prose. All guardians of morality throughout the three novels are presented as deeply flawed, exonerating the protagonist in the eyes of the reader through their own sins. To me it felt like Dreiser, through Cowperwood, was arguing against carefully constructed strawmen. This is perhaps my only major criticism. I really wish that Cowperwood’s uncompromising individualism was challenged by a more profound philosophical outlook rather than a series of virtue signaling religious hypocrites. Similarly, his views on love and infidelity are rarely confronted by any of his countless women. Regardless of how severe the betrayal, how much pain Cowperwood inflicts, women consistently forgive and continue loving him, subduing their own desires in favor of his. I kept waiting for someone to outplay him romantically, but this never happened in any meaningful way. At the same time, Dreiser skillfully and subtly brings attention to the character flaws of Cowperwood’s women such as Aileen’s self-destructive and all-consuming fury or Berenice’s blissful unawareness of the life around her. While less visibly wrong than Cowperwood’s infidelity, they serve to highlight how unhappiness and conflict originates in the unique expressions of the individual rather than inherent evil.
In fact, this idea of individual expression and adaptation in life appears to be the fundamental message of the trilogy. Dreiser reveals as much in a short excerpt titled “Concerning Mycteroperca Bonaci” at the end of The Financier. Taking the Black Grouper as a metaphorical example he asks rhetorically: If the creative power of life wills that which is tricky and deceptive in its design of the world, why should human beings be restricted by truth and virtue? “Why were these beatitudes dreamed of and how do they avail?”
Unfortunately, Dreiser did not live to complete the trilogy. The Stoic, the third and final entry, was published posthumously in an almost-complete state. Mrs. Dreiser wrote the final chapter from the remaining notes of her husband. However, a conclusive summary in the form of a soliloquy which “would have left no doubt in the mind of the readers as to his conception of life, strength and weaknesses, wealth and poverty, good and evil,” never made it on the page. We can only guess what this ultimate message might have been, but it is well worth reading the trilogy and deciding for yourself. Regardless of where you stand in life, you are certain to learn a lot about people and society from Dreiser’s wonderful work. Proceed carefully though, as I was warned by one of my friends who initially recommended that I read about Cowperwood’s adventures, “in the end, you might feel like you have lost a friend.” I must say that I certainly do.
December 23, 2022
Page-turner. Keeps your attention.
November 4, 2020
This is one of the best books I have ever read. The Financier and The Titan were very interesting for me to read. The Stoic feels weird and I can't say what's wrong with it. Maybe it's an influence of the gap between The Titan and The Stoic which were released in 1914 and 1947 respectively.
Still good reading.
Still good reading.
June 29, 2020
In his trilogy, which was meant to be a Trilogy of Desire, based on the life of Charles T. Yerkes, Dreiser probes the inner world of a superhuman figure whose “shark-like” intensity gets him apart from considered common people.
The financier personality always interested Dreiser as a character because he considered him as one of the lucky few, Nature has favoured.
The world of money and power fascinated Diciser. Cowper wood has all physical and mental qualities to make him .a natural leader. In the competitive world of big business what matters is will power and ruthlessness.
In the Trilogy, Dreiser asserts that not even these superhuman figures are able to outwit nature. Nature uses them and discards them when their function is over. In the larger, scheine of things all human beings are Nature’s victims.
The trilogy is noted for Dreiser’s use of facts in fiction. He researched for his novel extensively by scanning newspaper files, interviewing people and visiting places that appear in the narrative.
The parallels between the real life of Charles Yerkes and the fictitious saga of Cowper wood are to minute details. The social vision is Dreiser’s own contribution. He gives clear insights into how the vast financial empire in the modern capitalist society operates.
Dreiser’s purpose was “to draw man as I see him.. And when I get through with him he’ll stand there, unidealised and uncured for you.., to take and judge according to your own lights and blindness and attitude towards life”.
The financier personality always interested Dreiser as a character because he considered him as one of the lucky few, Nature has favoured.
The world of money and power fascinated Diciser. Cowper wood has all physical and mental qualities to make him .a natural leader. In the competitive world of big business what matters is will power and ruthlessness.
In the Trilogy, Dreiser asserts that not even these superhuman figures are able to outwit nature. Nature uses them and discards them when their function is over. In the larger, scheine of things all human beings are Nature’s victims.
The trilogy is noted for Dreiser’s use of facts in fiction. He researched for his novel extensively by scanning newspaper files, interviewing people and visiting places that appear in the narrative.
The parallels between the real life of Charles Yerkes and the fictitious saga of Cowper wood are to minute details. The social vision is Dreiser’s own contribution. He gives clear insights into how the vast financial empire in the modern capitalist society operates.
Dreiser’s purpose was “to draw man as I see him.. And when I get through with him he’ll stand there, unidealised and uncured for you.., to take and judge according to your own lights and blindness and attitude towards life”.
November 7, 2013
I read all 3 of these. I did a lot of foolish things when I was young.
February 8, 2023
i was so bored, 3rd book was the most promising; affairs, corruption, shitty people - love capitalism
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews