Американская трагедия. Драйзер

Clyde Griffiths wants to join the wealthy social elite at any cost. His uncle, Samuel Griffiths, owns a factory in Lycurgus. Clyde starts an affair with Sondra Finchley, his cousin’s friend. She is seventeen and heir to another local factory owner. Spoiled and vain, she belongs to the city’s wealthy young set.

But Clyde still has ties to Roberta Alden, a factory worker. He sees their affair as a burden and seeks a decisive end. His choice leads to his own downfall.

Theodore Dreiser’s novel blends crime, courtroom drama and the study of a troubled mind. Based on real events, it offers a harsh critique of the American dream. It first appeared in 1925 and became his best-known novel. Its story inspired films by Josef von Sternberg in 1931 and George Stevens in 1951. Woody Allen’s Match Point offered a loose reworking in 2005.