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Jennie Gerhardt
Jennie Gerhardt was Theodore Dreiser's second novel and his first true commercial success. Today it is generally regarded as one of his three best novels, along with Sister Carrie and An American Tragedy. But the text of Jennie Gerhardt heretofore known to readers is quite different from the text as Dreiser originally wrote it. In the tradition of the University of Pennsylvania Dreiser Edition, James L. W. West III has recaptured the text as it was originally written, restoring it to its complete, unexpurgated form. As submitted to Harper and Brothers in 1911, Jennie Gerhardt was a powerful study of a woman tragically compromised by birth and fate. Harpers agreed to publish the book but was nervous about its subject matter and moral stance. Jennie has an illegitimate child by one man and lives out of wedlock with another - but Dreiser does not condemn her for her behavior. As a requirement for publication, Harpers insisted on cutting and revising the text. Although Dreiser fought against many of the cuts and succeeded in restoring some material, Harpers shortened the text by 16,000 words and completely revised its style and tone. These changes ultimately transformed Jennie Gerhardt from a blunt, carefully documented work of social realism to a touching love story merely set against a social background. Passages critical of organized religion and of the institution of marriage were reduced and altered. Perhaps most important, Jennie's point of view - her innate romantic mysticism - was largely edited out of the text. As a consequence, the central dialectic of the novel was skewed and the narrative thrown out of balance.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1911
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About the author
Theodore Dreiser
477听books892听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.
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August 27, 2019
Having now received an answer from Audible, I have been informed that the basis for the Blackstone audiobook is the University of Pennsylvania edition published in 1994. This edition, and thus the audiobook too, restores those portions removed from the 补耻迟丑辞谤鈥檚 text with the book's first publication by Harper & Brothers in 1911. The audiobook is thus Dreiser's original text before Harper & Brothers' modifications.
Having now read three of 's novels, I am struck by the similarity of the books鈥� messages as well as their prose style. Dreiser belongs to the school of American naturalists. They are realists to the core. They look at society with a critical eye. Dreiser writes of the harsh reality of life at the turn of the 19th century.
Often, authors of this school are criticized for their emphasis of the darker aspects of life. I would counter this view with the observation that Dreiser鈥檚 novels portray protagonists who succeed, despite social restrictions, despite the stumbling blocks put in their paths and despite their so-called lack of moral strength. It is true that events are not drawn in an idealistic fashion. I see real life and people willing to fight against poor odds. One must ask, 鈥淢orals according to whom?鈥� The incongruence between true moral strength and the morals dictated by society is the hallmark of Dreiser鈥檚 work.
Dreiser鈥檚 prose style is clear, crisp, exact, spare. These are the adjectives that come to mind. The writing is without melodrama or theatrics. The telling is plot-oriented and with little dialog. Readers watch what happens and find themselves caught up in the moral dilemma lying at the core of the novel. The absence of hysteria is not only refreshing, but also strengthens readers鈥� focus on the central issue. Histrionics, sobs and moans and soppy revelations would only distract. For me, the spare simplicity of the lines gives strength and puts emphasis on what is being said.
This novel critiques the institution of marriage, organized religion, social restrictions, wealth and the means by which money is often attained. The essence of love, what love gives and what it demands is a central theme too.
The story focuses on Jennie Reinhardt, her five siblings and her mother and father. It opens in 1880, Columbus Ohio. Jennie is eighteen. Life is a struggle against poverty. The story follows her entire life and her moves within the Midwest. What will one do to survive and what is required to succeed are the questions asked. What is necessary to retain one鈥檚 integrity and is it possible to remain morally upright?
The audiobook is very well narrated by Lloyd James. The narrator never gets between the listener and the story. One listens to the 补耻迟丑辞谤鈥檚 words. The focus is not on the one reading the story. This I very much like.
*
Here follow my ratings of the books I have read by Dreiser:
4 stars
4 stars
2 stars
Having now read three of 's novels, I am struck by the similarity of the books鈥� messages as well as their prose style. Dreiser belongs to the school of American naturalists. They are realists to the core. They look at society with a critical eye. Dreiser writes of the harsh reality of life at the turn of the 19th century.
Often, authors of this school are criticized for their emphasis of the darker aspects of life. I would counter this view with the observation that Dreiser鈥檚 novels portray protagonists who succeed, despite social restrictions, despite the stumbling blocks put in their paths and despite their so-called lack of moral strength. It is true that events are not drawn in an idealistic fashion. I see real life and people willing to fight against poor odds. One must ask, 鈥淢orals according to whom?鈥� The incongruence between true moral strength and the morals dictated by society is the hallmark of Dreiser鈥檚 work.
Dreiser鈥檚 prose style is clear, crisp, exact, spare. These are the adjectives that come to mind. The writing is without melodrama or theatrics. The telling is plot-oriented and with little dialog. Readers watch what happens and find themselves caught up in the moral dilemma lying at the core of the novel. The absence of hysteria is not only refreshing, but also strengthens readers鈥� focus on the central issue. Histrionics, sobs and moans and soppy revelations would only distract. For me, the spare simplicity of the lines gives strength and puts emphasis on what is being said.
This novel critiques the institution of marriage, organized religion, social restrictions, wealth and the means by which money is often attained. The essence of love, what love gives and what it demands is a central theme too.
The story focuses on Jennie Reinhardt, her five siblings and her mother and father. It opens in 1880, Columbus Ohio. Jennie is eighteen. Life is a struggle against poverty. The story follows her entire life and her moves within the Midwest. What will one do to survive and what is required to succeed are the questions asked. What is necessary to retain one鈥檚 integrity and is it possible to remain morally upright?
The audiobook is very well narrated by Lloyd James. The narrator never gets between the listener and the story. One listens to the 补耻迟丑辞谤鈥檚 words. The focus is not on the one reading the story. This I very much like.
*
Here follow my ratings of the books I have read by Dreiser:
4 stars
4 stars
2 stars
December 13, 2011
My loins were girded. I've read and books by and , books and authors of the Realism/Naturalism schools. In other words, authors who show you that life is crap, people are crap and all you can expect is crap. Not that the books are crap - they can be very good.
So in this uncharitable (but realistic!) frame of mind I was very surprised by the curve ball Dreiser throws in "Jennie Gerhardt". There is not one ogre in the book nor is it a tale of a spiraling down into degradation (, ). In reality it is a love story where capitalism takes the role of the Montagues and Capulets keeping the star-cross'd lovers apart.
Dreiser is the opposite of . If ever they were in the same room together I imagine a conversation where James is constantly demurring, obliquely not-saying what he's trying to say while Dreiser is constantly interrupting "What? What? Spit it out man!" Dreiser is continually burrowing in to the characters and situations, analyzing and describing to give us complete picture of the "way things are". Jamesian innuendo it is not.
The one place where he couldn't be explicit is due to the sexual mores of literature at the time - i.e. he couldn't explicitly say that Jennie and her two sugar-daddies are doing it - he had to drop the hint very strongly. He had to make sure we got the point because the novel would be meaningless without it. In a crude Marxian analysis, Jennie's incredible hotness was her rare material and her labor (so to speak) - however Men had the means of production. Jennie's class and status as mistress made her an outcast, regardless of her beauty.
The character of Lester Kane, Jennie's love, is a latter-day Hamlet. He knows what the right thing to do is (marry Jennie), but he cannot do it because that would mean a loss of *something*. At first the loss was his independence, then it would be because he doesn't "love" her (but he did, he just didn't know it - a situation much mined by later Romance novelists I hear), and finally he would lose his inheritance if he stayed with Jennie. Here is where the class struggle struggles into the novel - Dreiser explicitly mentions a number of times in the text that these two were just victims of faceless systems and circumstances, that love ain't got nothin' to do with it.
In some ways the purest joys in reading the novel is in the in depth way Dreiser shows us how society was in those days, from the poorest immigrant to the richest capitalist. Every class had their social anxieties and protocols and to violate them was to be an outcast. In particular interest to me was the depiction of the Gerhardt family in their German Lutheran society - where the insular Lutheran flock is ruled by the minister. Luther may have got rid of the bishops and the pope - but he didn't get rid of male authority, not by a long shot!
So in this uncharitable (but realistic!) frame of mind I was very surprised by the curve ball Dreiser throws in "Jennie Gerhardt". There is not one ogre in the book nor is it a tale of a spiraling down into degradation (, ). In reality it is a love story where capitalism takes the role of the Montagues and Capulets keeping the star-cross'd lovers apart.
Dreiser is the opposite of . If ever they were in the same room together I imagine a conversation where James is constantly demurring, obliquely not-saying what he's trying to say while Dreiser is constantly interrupting "What? What? Spit it out man!" Dreiser is continually burrowing in to the characters and situations, analyzing and describing to give us complete picture of the "way things are". Jamesian innuendo it is not.
The one place where he couldn't be explicit is due to the sexual mores of literature at the time - i.e. he couldn't explicitly say that Jennie and her two sugar-daddies are doing it - he had to drop the hint very strongly. He had to make sure we got the point because the novel would be meaningless without it. In a crude Marxian analysis, Jennie's incredible hotness was her rare material and her labor (so to speak) - however Men had the means of production. Jennie's class and status as mistress made her an outcast, regardless of her beauty.
The character of Lester Kane, Jennie's love, is a latter-day Hamlet. He knows what the right thing to do is (marry Jennie), but he cannot do it because that would mean a loss of *something*. At first the loss was his independence, then it would be because he doesn't "love" her (but he did, he just didn't know it - a situation much mined by later Romance novelists I hear), and finally he would lose his inheritance if he stayed with Jennie. Here is where the class struggle struggles into the novel - Dreiser explicitly mentions a number of times in the text that these two were just victims of faceless systems and circumstances, that love ain't got nothin' to do with it.
In some ways the purest joys in reading the novel is in the in depth way Dreiser shows us how society was in those days, from the poorest immigrant to the richest capitalist. Every class had their social anxieties and protocols and to violate them was to be an outcast. In particular interest to me was the depiction of the Gerhardt family in their German Lutheran society - where the insular Lutheran flock is ruled by the minister. Luther may have got rid of the bishops and the pope - but he didn't get rid of male authority, not by a long shot!
February 26, 2024
袦械薪械 胁邪卸泻芯 写芯胁械褋褌懈 写芯 褋谢褨蟹, 邪谢械 褑褟 泻薪懈卸泻邪 斜谢懈卸褔械 斜芯 褎褨薪邪谢褍 蟹褉芯斜懈谢邪 褑械 写械泻褨谢褜泻邪 褉邪蟹褨胁.
袉褋褌芯褉褨褟 写褍卸械 褋褍屑薪邪. 袣芯谢懈褋褜 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪谢邪, 褖芯 袛褉邪泄蟹械褉 薪邪写懈褏薪褍胁褋褟 卸懈褌褌褟屑 褋胁芯褦褩 褋械褋褌褉懈, 锌懈褕褍褔懈 褑械泄 褉芯屑邪薪. 袣芯谢懈 锌芯褔懈薪邪谢邪 泄芯谐芯 褔懈褌邪褌懈, 薪邪锌械褉械写 褍褟胁懈谢邪, 褖芯 芯褔褨泻褍褦 锌芯锌械褉械写褍, 胁懈斜褍写芯胁褍褞褔懈 谐褨褉褕懈泄 胁邪褉褨邪薪褌 褉芯蟹胁懈褌泻褍, 薪褨卸 褍 芦小械褋褌褉褨 袣械褉褉褨禄, 邪谢械 胁褋械 胁懈褟胁懈谢芯褋褜 褨薪邪泻褕械.
袣芯谢懈 胁邪屑 蟹写邪褦褌褜褋褟, 褖芯 胁 卸懈褌褌褨 褍 胁邪褋 褖芯褋褜 锌褨褕谢芯 薪械 褌邪泻, 锌芯褔懈褌邪泄褌械 褑褞 泻薪懈卸泻褍馃槄 袩芯锌褉懈 写褉邪屑褍 胁芯薪邪 写褍卸械 卸懈褌褌褦褋褌胁械褉写薪邪
袉褋褌芯褉褨褟 写褍卸械 褋褍屑薪邪. 袣芯谢懈褋褜 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪谢邪, 褖芯 袛褉邪泄蟹械褉 薪邪写懈褏薪褍胁褋褟 卸懈褌褌褟屑 褋胁芯褦褩 褋械褋褌褉懈, 锌懈褕褍褔懈 褑械泄 褉芯屑邪薪. 袣芯谢懈 锌芯褔懈薪邪谢邪 泄芯谐芯 褔懈褌邪褌懈, 薪邪锌械褉械写 褍褟胁懈谢邪, 褖芯 芯褔褨泻褍褦 锌芯锌械褉械写褍, 胁懈斜褍写芯胁褍褞褔懈 谐褨褉褕懈泄 胁邪褉褨邪薪褌 褉芯蟹胁懈褌泻褍, 薪褨卸 褍 芦小械褋褌褉褨 袣械褉褉褨禄, 邪谢械 胁褋械 胁懈褟胁懈谢芯褋褜 褨薪邪泻褕械.
袣芯谢懈 胁邪屑 蟹写邪褦褌褜褋褟, 褖芯 胁 卸懈褌褌褨 褍 胁邪褋 褖芯褋褜 锌褨褕谢芯 薪械 褌邪泻, 锌芯褔懈褌邪泄褌械 褑褞 泻薪懈卸泻褍馃槄 袩芯锌褉懈 写褉邪屑褍 胁芯薪邪 写褍卸械 卸懈褌褌褦褋褌胁械褉写薪邪
July 26, 2015
A touching story of a girl fighting the cruelities of the American life. Could not help crying in some parts. Love is not just loving. It is something more. This is what the book taught me.
July 7, 2021
Este livro fala-nos da vida de Jenni Gerhardt. Jenny 茅 a segunda dos seis filhos do Sr. e Sra. Gerhardt, que t锚m ascend锚ncia alem茫 e professam a f茅 luterana.
No in铆cio da hist贸ria Jenny tem 18 anos e a sua fam铆lia passa por v谩rias dificuldades financeiras, sem dinheiro para fazer face 脿s despesas regulares e a acrescentar a estas ainda outros imprevistos.
Devido a isso Jenny e a m茫e procuram trabalho num hotel e 茅 a铆 que Jenny trava conhecimento com o senador Brander, um cavalheiro de 52 anos que toma grande interesse por ela, pois al茅m da sua beleza encantadora Jenny 茅 dona de uma personalidade bondosa, meiga e honesta e tamb茅m come莽a a desenvolver uma certo carinho por ele.
O senador ao saber das condi莽玫es dif铆ceis em que a fam铆lia de Jenny vive ajuda-a e quando chega o dia em que o irm茫o mais velho de Jenny, Bass, 茅 preso por ter sido apanhado a roubar carv茫o para aquecer a casa, Jenny recorre 脿 bondade do senador e este com os conhecimentos que tem acaba por conseguir que Bass seja solto e o roubo apagado do seu cadastro.
Jenny fica imensamente agradecida e nessa noite o carinho entre eles toma um rumo mais carnal.
O senador promete casar com ela e era o que iria fazer, n茫o se desse o caso de um ataque fulminante o ter levado deste mundo.
Jenny fica desconsolada, pois al茅m de "desgra莽ada" por se ter entregado a um homem antes do v铆nculo sagrado do matrim贸nio ainda fica com um filho no ventre.
Ao saber das circunst芒ncias em que se encontra a filha, o Sr. Gerhardt expulsa-a de casa. Jenny vai trabalhar como criada pessoal para a casa da Sra. Barceheart e a铆 conhece Lester Kane, um amigo da fam铆lia e filho de um industrial bem sucedido. Este imediatamente toma-se de encantos por Jenny e diz-lhe que ela ser谩 sua.
Jenny, devido ao seu passado n茫o quer nada com Lester, no entanto tamb茅m come莽a a am谩-lo. Tendo na sua m茫e uma grande confidente e mais uma vez, circunst芒ncias que tornam a vida da fam铆lia dif铆cil (o pai ficara queimado nas m茫os num acidente na f谩brica onde trabalhava, sendo mais uma fonte de despesa), Jenny aceita a proposta de Lester e torna-se sua amante, uma vez que n茫o estavam unidos pelos sagrados la莽os do matrim贸nio. Este monta-lhe uma casa e levam uma vida de casados sem o serem. Tudo corre bem at茅 ao dia em que se descobre a situa莽茫o de Lester e Jenny, e a fam铆lia de Lester faz-lhe um ultimato. No entanto este acha que a situa莽茫o em que est谩 n茫o tem nada de errado e n茫o prejudica ningu茅m apenas por n茫o estar casado.
Entretanto Lester fica a saber da exist锚ncia da filha de Jenny, Vesta e apesar de no in铆cio n茫o mostrar interesse, vai come莽ar a ganhar verdadeira afei莽茫o por ela.
Esta hist贸ria toma uma reviravolta quando o pai de Lester falece e no testamento deixa expl铆cito que o filho s贸 tomar谩 a sua parte da heran莽a se deixar Jenny, ou apenas receber谩 10.000 d贸lares anuais se casar e continuar com Jenny. Tem tr锚s anos para decidir, o que mais uma vez o revolta por se estarem a intrometer na sua situa莽茫o familiar.
Roberto, irm茫o de Lester ao ver que o prazo est谩 para terminar e nada foi decidido pelo irm茫o decide enviar um intermedi谩rio para falar diretamente com Jenny. Esta ao saber das condi莽玫es do testamento decide abandonar Lester pois acha que n茫o 茅 justo ele ficar sem a heran莽a e como ao fim de tantos anos juntos nunca se tinha resolvido a casar, acha que 茅 pelo melhor. Assim, vai com a sua filha Vesta viver num recanto isolado. A铆 tudo ia bem at茅 a trag茅dia se abater mais uma vez sobre ela e a sua filha Vesta lhe ser tomada pela febre tif贸ide. Jenny v锚-se s贸, pois os pais j谩 haviam falecido e os seus irm茫os estavam na vida deles sem demonstrar interesse por ela. Assim retorna 脿 cidade e adopta duas crian莽as para n茫o se sentir t茫o s贸.
Entretanto Lester tinha retomado o contacto com um antigo interesse amoroso, Letty, que 茅 agora uma vi煤va rica e o seu esp铆rito divide-se entre Jenny e Letty, mas com o abandono de Jenny, Letty tem o caminho livre e acaba por conseguir casar com Lester.
O tempo passa e Lester chega aos 60 anos mais velho obviamente e com a sa煤de a deteriorar-se. Ao ver que se aproxima o seu final, e como Letty anda em cruzeiro pela Europa, pede para chamar Jenny que vela por ele at茅 ao seu 煤ltimo suspiro.
A hist贸ria termina com a urna de Lester a ser carregado no comboio para se dirigir ao seu local de descanso definitivo enquanto 茅 ao longe observado por Jenny.
Gostei bastante da hist贸ria, s贸 achei que o Lester com a sua indecis茫o tornou a vida de Jenny dif铆cil e foi um final amargo para ela quando n茫o havia necessidade disso, tudo por causa de um v铆nculo de matrim贸nio que ele n茫o queria aceitar, apesar de j谩 viver em fam铆lia com Jenny e Vesta.
No in铆cio da hist贸ria Jenny tem 18 anos e a sua fam铆lia passa por v谩rias dificuldades financeiras, sem dinheiro para fazer face 脿s despesas regulares e a acrescentar a estas ainda outros imprevistos.
Devido a isso Jenny e a m茫e procuram trabalho num hotel e 茅 a铆 que Jenny trava conhecimento com o senador Brander, um cavalheiro de 52 anos que toma grande interesse por ela, pois al茅m da sua beleza encantadora Jenny 茅 dona de uma personalidade bondosa, meiga e honesta e tamb茅m come莽a a desenvolver uma certo carinho por ele.
O senador ao saber das condi莽玫es dif铆ceis em que a fam铆lia de Jenny vive ajuda-a e quando chega o dia em que o irm茫o mais velho de Jenny, Bass, 茅 preso por ter sido apanhado a roubar carv茫o para aquecer a casa, Jenny recorre 脿 bondade do senador e este com os conhecimentos que tem acaba por conseguir que Bass seja solto e o roubo apagado do seu cadastro.
Jenny fica imensamente agradecida e nessa noite o carinho entre eles toma um rumo mais carnal.
O senador promete casar com ela e era o que iria fazer, n茫o se desse o caso de um ataque fulminante o ter levado deste mundo.
Jenny fica desconsolada, pois al茅m de "desgra莽ada" por se ter entregado a um homem antes do v铆nculo sagrado do matrim贸nio ainda fica com um filho no ventre.
Ao saber das circunst芒ncias em que se encontra a filha, o Sr. Gerhardt expulsa-a de casa. Jenny vai trabalhar como criada pessoal para a casa da Sra. Barceheart e a铆 conhece Lester Kane, um amigo da fam铆lia e filho de um industrial bem sucedido. Este imediatamente toma-se de encantos por Jenny e diz-lhe que ela ser谩 sua.
Jenny, devido ao seu passado n茫o quer nada com Lester, no entanto tamb茅m come莽a a am谩-lo. Tendo na sua m茫e uma grande confidente e mais uma vez, circunst芒ncias que tornam a vida da fam铆lia dif铆cil (o pai ficara queimado nas m茫os num acidente na f谩brica onde trabalhava, sendo mais uma fonte de despesa), Jenny aceita a proposta de Lester e torna-se sua amante, uma vez que n茫o estavam unidos pelos sagrados la莽os do matrim贸nio. Este monta-lhe uma casa e levam uma vida de casados sem o serem. Tudo corre bem at茅 ao dia em que se descobre a situa莽茫o de Lester e Jenny, e a fam铆lia de Lester faz-lhe um ultimato. No entanto este acha que a situa莽茫o em que est谩 n茫o tem nada de errado e n茫o prejudica ningu茅m apenas por n茫o estar casado.
Entretanto Lester fica a saber da exist锚ncia da filha de Jenny, Vesta e apesar de no in铆cio n茫o mostrar interesse, vai come莽ar a ganhar verdadeira afei莽茫o por ela.
Esta hist贸ria toma uma reviravolta quando o pai de Lester falece e no testamento deixa expl铆cito que o filho s贸 tomar谩 a sua parte da heran莽a se deixar Jenny, ou apenas receber谩 10.000 d贸lares anuais se casar e continuar com Jenny. Tem tr锚s anos para decidir, o que mais uma vez o revolta por se estarem a intrometer na sua situa莽茫o familiar.
Roberto, irm茫o de Lester ao ver que o prazo est谩 para terminar e nada foi decidido pelo irm茫o decide enviar um intermedi谩rio para falar diretamente com Jenny. Esta ao saber das condi莽玫es do testamento decide abandonar Lester pois acha que n茫o 茅 justo ele ficar sem a heran莽a e como ao fim de tantos anos juntos nunca se tinha resolvido a casar, acha que 茅 pelo melhor. Assim, vai com a sua filha Vesta viver num recanto isolado. A铆 tudo ia bem at茅 a trag茅dia se abater mais uma vez sobre ela e a sua filha Vesta lhe ser tomada pela febre tif贸ide. Jenny v锚-se s贸, pois os pais j谩 haviam falecido e os seus irm茫os estavam na vida deles sem demonstrar interesse por ela. Assim retorna 脿 cidade e adopta duas crian莽as para n茫o se sentir t茫o s贸.
Entretanto Lester tinha retomado o contacto com um antigo interesse amoroso, Letty, que 茅 agora uma vi煤va rica e o seu esp铆rito divide-se entre Jenny e Letty, mas com o abandono de Jenny, Letty tem o caminho livre e acaba por conseguir casar com Lester.
O tempo passa e Lester chega aos 60 anos mais velho obviamente e com a sa煤de a deteriorar-se. Ao ver que se aproxima o seu final, e como Letty anda em cruzeiro pela Europa, pede para chamar Jenny que vela por ele at茅 ao seu 煤ltimo suspiro.
A hist贸ria termina com a urna de Lester a ser carregado no comboio para se dirigir ao seu local de descanso definitivo enquanto 茅 ao longe observado por Jenny.
Gostei bastante da hist贸ria, s贸 achei que o Lester com a sua indecis茫o tornou a vida de Jenny dif铆cil e foi um final amargo para ela quando n茫o havia necessidade disso, tudo por causa de um v铆nculo de matrim贸nio que ele n茫o queria aceitar, apesar de j谩 viver em fam铆lia com Jenny e Vesta.
November 7, 2015
Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945) 茅 considerado o mais influente escritor do naturalismo dos Estados Unidos. N茫o sendo muito apreciado pelo estilo, 茅 valorizado pela constru莽茫o de personagens, que refletem o estilo de vida, na 茅poca, da sociedade norte-americana.
Jenny Gerhardt 茅 uma jovem que nasceu numa fam铆lia muito pobre. 脡 bela, generosa e ing茅nua; defeitos que a tornam uma tenta莽茫o para os homens. Quase toda a sua vida 茅 um calv谩rio de sofrimento; pela rejei莽茫o do pai; pela perda dos amantes; pela morte dos seres queridos.
脡 um romance interessante por reflectir as desigualdades sociais e a mentalidade da 茅poca, em que um homem da alta sociedade n茫o pode casar com uma mulher humilde. Hoje, acho, que ainda 茅 assim; o que mudou 茅 as mulheres j谩 n茫o serem expulsas de casa por perderem a virgindade e a sociedade n茫o as criticarem ou rejeitarem.
Apesar de tanto drama, n茫o me comovi nem um bocadinho; n茫o sei se o devo ao estilo de Dreiser, ou se 脿 tradu莽茫o miser谩vel.
N茫o costumo dar import芒ncia a pormenores de m谩 tradu莽茫o, mas este romance 茅 um caso especial. Nunca li um livro com tantos erros de ortografia e de constru莽茫o gramatical. At茅 o t铆tulo est谩 errado; 茅 certo que Jenny Gerhardt n茫o casou, mas isso n茫o 茅 motivo para perder o nome...
Jenny Gerhardt 茅 uma jovem que nasceu numa fam铆lia muito pobre. 脡 bela, generosa e ing茅nua; defeitos que a tornam uma tenta莽茫o para os homens. Quase toda a sua vida 茅 um calv谩rio de sofrimento; pela rejei莽茫o do pai; pela perda dos amantes; pela morte dos seres queridos.
脡 um romance interessante por reflectir as desigualdades sociais e a mentalidade da 茅poca, em que um homem da alta sociedade n茫o pode casar com uma mulher humilde. Hoje, acho, que ainda 茅 assim; o que mudou 茅 as mulheres j谩 n茫o serem expulsas de casa por perderem a virgindade e a sociedade n茫o as criticarem ou rejeitarem.
Apesar de tanto drama, n茫o me comovi nem um bocadinho; n茫o sei se o devo ao estilo de Dreiser, ou se 脿 tradu莽茫o miser谩vel.
N茫o costumo dar import芒ncia a pormenores de m谩 tradu莽茫o, mas este romance 茅 um caso especial. Nunca li um livro com tantos erros de ortografia e de constru莽茫o gramatical. At茅 o t铆tulo est谩 errado; 茅 certo que Jenny Gerhardt n茫o casou, mas isso n茫o 茅 motivo para perder o nome...
January 6, 2023
Although I read "Sister Carrie" and "An American Tragedy" years ago, I had never heard of this book by Dreiser until just recently. I think I now know why this one has kind of been lost to time. I can't remember when a book has made me so angry as I was reading it. Nevertheless, I kept at it until I finished.
Because the title is "Jennie Gerhardt", you would think that the book is about Jennie Gerhardt, that she would be the most important person in it. But she isn't. In fact, Jennie doesn't seem to really exist, doesn't really matter, without a man in her life. The book begins, literally, on the day in 1880 that she meets the first man who will, with Jennie's full cooperation, take advantage of and "ruin" her in the eyes of Victorian society. The book ends on the day she gets a last look at the coffin of the second man who, also with her full and steady cooperation, has compromised her life and her future. What happens to Jennie after that? Who knows? Does it matter? She no longer has a man to serve, so of course she could not possibly be of any further interest to the reader. End of story, literally.
As an 18-year-old, Jennie is seduced and impregnated by a man 30 years her senior, who dies before he is able to marry her. Whether he would actually have married her, we'll never know. It would have been nice if he'd done that first, since he seemed to be so taken with this beautiful girl, who Dreiser is at pains to explain, is a truly exceptional person. She goes ahead and has the child, and is able to live with her family, although they all move to another town to escape the scandal and shame. In this new town, Jennie takes work as a maid in a private home, where she comes in contact with Lester Kane, a wealthy business man 15 years her senior. He is immediately smitten, and though Jennie protests weakly, he convinces her to go away with him. After a trip to New York, the two set up housekeeping without benefit of clergy. Eventually this arrangement is discovered by Lester's family and friends, and both Lester and Jennie are shunned. This is to be expected, right? It's the late Victorian era, after all. And Lester Kane is repeatedly described as being intelligent and unsentimental, and the type of man who looks things squarely in the eye, who calls it as he sees it. So why does he not believe his father will cut him out of his inheritance? Why is he so surprised when his friends won't invite him and his common-law wife to their home? And then Lester, who is supposed to be this clear-eyed business man, cannot make up his mind as to whether to stay with Jennie as is, or leave her, or marry her. He can't decide from one moment to the next whether he even loves her. He keeps worrying about doing the right thing by her, and yet for most of the book doesn't seem to realize that the "right thing" probably would have been to leave her alone in the first place. And Jennie, who Dreiser continually describes as this wonderful person, very loving and giving and selfless, just comes off as a very pretty doormat. She loves Lester, no matter how negligently he treats her, and she seems almost afraid of him at times, and totally in his thrall. He just lets them float along in this limbo relationship until he almost loses his fortune, then leaves her, then calls her to him when he's about to die and there's no one else to nurse him. And she comes, gladly. Oooohhh, these people! Maybe at the time this was published, it made more sense - I know I've had the benefit of years of suffragettes and feminists since this book was published. But really, what exactly was the point of this book? The only good thing is that Lester does support Jennie through a trust fund after he leaves her, and so she will not be impoverished even after his death. Anyway, I have written more about this book than some others I've liked much better. My advice, though - read "Sister Carrie" or an "American Tragedy" if you want to read Dreiser.
Because the title is "Jennie Gerhardt", you would think that the book is about Jennie Gerhardt, that she would be the most important person in it. But she isn't. In fact, Jennie doesn't seem to really exist, doesn't really matter, without a man in her life. The book begins, literally, on the day in 1880 that she meets the first man who will, with Jennie's full cooperation, take advantage of and "ruin" her in the eyes of Victorian society. The book ends on the day she gets a last look at the coffin of the second man who, also with her full and steady cooperation, has compromised her life and her future. What happens to Jennie after that? Who knows? Does it matter? She no longer has a man to serve, so of course she could not possibly be of any further interest to the reader. End of story, literally.
As an 18-year-old, Jennie is seduced and impregnated by a man 30 years her senior, who dies before he is able to marry her. Whether he would actually have married her, we'll never know. It would have been nice if he'd done that first, since he seemed to be so taken with this beautiful girl, who Dreiser is at pains to explain, is a truly exceptional person. She goes ahead and has the child, and is able to live with her family, although they all move to another town to escape the scandal and shame. In this new town, Jennie takes work as a maid in a private home, where she comes in contact with Lester Kane, a wealthy business man 15 years her senior. He is immediately smitten, and though Jennie protests weakly, he convinces her to go away with him. After a trip to New York, the two set up housekeeping without benefit of clergy. Eventually this arrangement is discovered by Lester's family and friends, and both Lester and Jennie are shunned. This is to be expected, right? It's the late Victorian era, after all. And Lester Kane is repeatedly described as being intelligent and unsentimental, and the type of man who looks things squarely in the eye, who calls it as he sees it. So why does he not believe his father will cut him out of his inheritance? Why is he so surprised when his friends won't invite him and his common-law wife to their home? And then Lester, who is supposed to be this clear-eyed business man, cannot make up his mind as to whether to stay with Jennie as is, or leave her, or marry her. He can't decide from one moment to the next whether he even loves her. He keeps worrying about doing the right thing by her, and yet for most of the book doesn't seem to realize that the "right thing" probably would have been to leave her alone in the first place. And Jennie, who Dreiser continually describes as this wonderful person, very loving and giving and selfless, just comes off as a very pretty doormat. She loves Lester, no matter how negligently he treats her, and she seems almost afraid of him at times, and totally in his thrall. He just lets them float along in this limbo relationship until he almost loses his fortune, then leaves her, then calls her to him when he's about to die and there's no one else to nurse him. And she comes, gladly. Oooohhh, these people! Maybe at the time this was published, it made more sense - I know I've had the benefit of years of suffragettes and feminists since this book was published. But really, what exactly was the point of this book? The only good thing is that Lester does support Jennie through a trust fund after he leaves her, and so she will not be impoverished even after his death. Anyway, I have written more about this book than some others I've liked much better. My advice, though - read "Sister Carrie" or an "American Tragedy" if you want to read Dreiser.
November 18, 2018
Oh my word! What a beautiful novel. And that ending, I cried and cried. Such an amazing writer Dreiser is, this could be my all time favourite book.
Searching for classics a while back I came across the novel, Jennie Gerhardt by Theodore Dreiser, both title and author completely unknown to me, and I must say what a surprise I had seeing my maiden name in a book title, it鈥檚 not often I come across the surname Gerhardt and in a book title, well, never ever, clearly, I had to buy this novel. Jennie Gerhardt was just right for my book bingo square 鈥榓 book set more than 100 years ago,鈥� as the story of Jennie Gerhardt was set in 1880.
Jennie is sweet, selfless and a bit of a doormat but I loved her so, what an incredible character Dreiser created, despite facing many hardships she remained a loving and caring person. Uneducated and poor Jennie encounters two powerful men, Brander and Lester, and it鈥檚 with Lester she has a long and fragile relationship during a time when living together was socially unacceptable. Very well written with great insight into the human psyche.
A tremendously brilliant book. Can鈥檛 recommend this highly enough.
I love the cover of my novel which features a young woman in what looks like a wedding dress - so pretty.
I will be looking into buying Sister Carrie and American Tragedy. I want to own Dreiser鈥檚 books.
#Book Bingo 2018: 鈥楢 book set more than 100 years ago鈥� - Jennie Gerhardt by Theodore Dreiser
February 7, 2021
In all of nature there is only perfection. Seen as complete, it is breathlessly beautiful in its splendor. "No process is vile, no condition is unnatural."* Everything has its place. No separate part, or single entity when viewed as a whole. Each unit plays a distinct role, every performance a contributor on the spectacular stage of life.
And then like a glitch, a lapse occurs, like a blot on a white cloth, a stain on the untainted, a species consciously awakens to their superiority and dominance that destabilize this unity, magnifying the innumerable disparities that demean the unifying similitudes, undermining the fact that each piece of irreconcilable difference is an imperfection on its own, but when put together as a whole is the picture of perfection in its entirety.
In Jennie Gerhardt, Theodore Dreiser uses the same analogy, but in reverse order. Her destitute but beautiful heroine in the novel appears like an anomaly. She is presented as an individualized version of perfection, unassuming in her ways and unblemished, with childlike wonder, purity of innocence and artless glee, who subtlety commune with her environment with guileless sincerity as opposed to the imperfect world where she is moving, a society unconsciously blinded by its own hypocrisy and artificiality.
Without much preamble, the first half of the novel feels like reading a novel. Men like Senator Brander and Lester Kane are characters that seem to be lifted from her own pages. Imbued at the same time with themes of star-crossed lovers, May-December affair, tycoon falling in love with a girl below his caste and glamorous cascade of men and women from high society are simply some ingredients somewhat commonly found in a best selling romance novel. Perhaps, the only difference in Jennie Gerhardt in a more literati fashion aside from its spiritual undertone that sets it apart from that genre is that Dreiser deglamorizes this world by telling a Cinderella story without her happily ever after, a heroine in her fairy tale story gone awry, emphatically relating the realistic consequences of human weakness against the pressure of a scheming society.
*italicized line quoted verbatim from the book, p 97, Kindle Edition, published Green World Classics
And then like a glitch, a lapse occurs, like a blot on a white cloth, a stain on the untainted, a species consciously awakens to their superiority and dominance that destabilize this unity, magnifying the innumerable disparities that demean the unifying similitudes, undermining the fact that each piece of irreconcilable difference is an imperfection on its own, but when put together as a whole is the picture of perfection in its entirety.
In Jennie Gerhardt, Theodore Dreiser uses the same analogy, but in reverse order. Her destitute but beautiful heroine in the novel appears like an anomaly. She is presented as an individualized version of perfection, unassuming in her ways and unblemished, with childlike wonder, purity of innocence and artless glee, who subtlety commune with her environment with guileless sincerity as opposed to the imperfect world where she is moving, a society unconsciously blinded by its own hypocrisy and artificiality.
Without much preamble, the first half of the novel feels like reading a novel. Men like Senator Brander and Lester Kane are characters that seem to be lifted from her own pages. Imbued at the same time with themes of star-crossed lovers, May-December affair, tycoon falling in love with a girl below his caste and glamorous cascade of men and women from high society are simply some ingredients somewhat commonly found in a best selling romance novel. Perhaps, the only difference in Jennie Gerhardt in a more literati fashion aside from its spiritual undertone that sets it apart from that genre is that Dreiser deglamorizes this world by telling a Cinderella story without her happily ever after, a heroine in her fairy tale story gone awry, emphatically relating the realistic consequences of human weakness against the pressure of a scheming society.
*italicized line quoted verbatim from the book, p 97, Kindle Edition, published Green World Classics
June 14, 2011
小邪屑邪褟 谢褞斜懈屑邪褟 泻薪懈谐邪 褍 袛褉邪泄蟹械褉邪 (泻芯褌芯褉芯谐芯 胁芯芯斜褖械 褋懈谢褜薪芯 谢褞斜谢褞). 啸褉褍锌泻邪褟, 屑械褋褌邪屑懈 锌褉芯薪蟹懈褌械谢褜薪芯 谐褉褍褋褌薪邪褟, 芯褔械薪褜 薪械卸薪邪褟 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 芯 斜械蟹蟹邪褖懈褌薪芯褋褌懈 芯褌泻褉褘褌芯泄 谢褞斜褟褖械泄 写褍褕懈, 懈 胁屑械褋褌械 褋 褌械屑 - 褑械谢邪褟 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 卸懈蟹薪懈, 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪薪邪褟 谐谢褍斜芯泻芯, 锌褉邪胁写懈胁芯 懈 褋懈谢褜薪芯. 袠薪褌械褉械褋薪芯 懈 写芯褉芯谐芯 褌芯, 褔褌芯 锌械褉褋芯薪邪卸懈 "胁褌芯褉芯谐芯 锌谢邪薪邪", - 褌邪泻懈械, 泻邪泻 芯褌械褑 袛卸械薪薪懈, 械谐芯 谢懈褔薪邪褟 写褉邪屑邪, - 薪械 芯褋褌邪褞褌褋褟 胁 褌械薪懈, 薪邪斜褉芯褋邪薪薪褘屑懈 泻芯械-泻邪泻, 胁褌芯褉芯锌褟褏. 袣薪懈谐邪, 芯褌 泻芯褌芯褉芯泄 褖械屑懈褌 褋械褉写褑械. 袙 泻芯薪褑械 锌谢邪泻邪谢邪!.. 小褔懈褌邪褞 袛褉邪泄蟹械褉邪 锌芯-薪邪褋褌芯褟褖械屑褍 胁械谢懈泻懈屑! 效懈褌邪泄褌械 泻谢邪褋褋懈泻褍! 袙 薪械泄 - 锌褉邪胁写邪 卸懈蟹薪懈!
July 14, 2014
"Jennie felt hurt through and through by this denouement, and yet as she sat there she realized that it was foolish to be angry. Life was always doing this sort of a thing to her. It would go on doing so. She was sure of it."
I read Sister Carrie a few years ago, and after learning more about the Gilded Age I decided to try another. One of the most striking things about this book is the unfairness of life to good people. Jennie is a very sweet, caring individual who works hard to please other people but seems to be thrown every misfortune life can give her. No matter how she tries to better herself, she feels that she does not fit in. She realizes that "love was not enough in this world - that was so plain. One needed education, wealth, training, the ability to fight and scheme. She did not want to do that. She could not."
(sorry to quote so much. the book is just better able to describe itself than I am.)
Lester is described as "an able man" who is "not crafty; not darkly cruel." While his friends are able to get ahead in business, Lester's conscience holds him back at critical points.
As Lester and Carrie age and search for a path through the maze of situations they face, Both struggle to do the right thing but are punished by fate. Both together and alone, they face the death of loved ones, gossip, social barriers, poverty, and separation.
"After all, life is more or less of a farce," he went on a little bitterly. "It's a silly show. The best we can do is to hold our personality intact. It doesn't appear that integrity has much to do with it."
This book will make you think. The characters have complicated relationships, feelings, loyalties, beliefs - just like real life. Good people - soulmates - are kept apart by society's opinion and class barriers. Just as much in as in Sister Carrie, through Jennie Gerhardt Dreiser proves himself to be capable of capturing the 1890s.
"From one point of view it still seems best, but I'm not so much happier. I was just as happy with you as I ever will be. It isn't myself that's important in this transaction apparently; the individual doesn't count much in the sisuation...all of us are more or less pawns. We're moved about like chessmen by circumstances over which we have no control."
December 10, 2022
H蓹yati, realistik v蓹 d眉艧眉nd眉r眉c眉 ail蓹-m蓹i艧蓹t dram谋d谋r kimi g枚z蓹l 蓹s蓹rdir. Dram v蓹 ya faci蓹 bizim 眉莽眉n 枚z眉n蓹m蓹xsus 艧ans谋d谋r ki, h蓹yat谋 bir q蓹d蓹r d蓹 m眉f蓹ss蓹l m蓹艧q ed蓹k v蓹 ba艧qalar谋n谋 yax谋ndan ba艧a d眉艧蓹k. Cenni Herhardt kimi qad谋nlar real h蓹yatda da az deyil v蓹 onlar谋n hekay蓹sini ba艧a d眉艧m蓹k m眉蓹yy蓹n haz谋rl谋q t蓹l蓹b edir.
April 20, 2023
Not bad at all. Dreiser provided a simple but compelling plot. Love the Chicago history here. They say Dreiser is a naturalist. I guess that means he emphasized impersonal social forces over personal autonomy. Not sure. But I think the book primarily demonstrates that the impact of a character鈥檚 physical appearance is more important than the impact of her economic environment. Jennie, born into relative poverty, finds that her attractiveness ensures that she is materially triumphant. I need to reread Sister Carrie to remember if she too lived in what Tina Fey called 鈥渢he bubble.鈥�
September 24, 2011
Eleven years after Theodore Dreiser鈥檚 first novel, the ground-breaking Sister Carrie had failed to sell well because of its 鈥榤orally dubious鈥� central character (see my review). When Jennie Gerhardt was published in 1911, this time the heroine was a noble, self-sacrificing soul, an innocent who stumbles into the sort of folly that respectable people who鈥檝e never known the depredations of poverty deplored. She is naturally attractive to men, who don鈥檛 intend to treat her badly, but her social situation means that they can treat her as they never would a member of their own class. And when she falls, as the reader knows she inevitably will, she is judged harshly by the gender-specific hypocrisies of the day.
To see the rest of my review please visit
To see the rest of my review please visit
August 15, 2020
A devastating novel, and one that I probably shouldn鈥檛 have read at this point in my life, as Dreiser hits very close to home in his aching sorrow for the forces of fate that guide our destiny: class, social convention, geography, gender, ethnicity, health, physical appearance. There are no villains, saviors, or victims. Morality, while laudable, gives us no solace or deliverance. There exists only our lives that float like so much detritus along the currents of a brief existence. This novel hit me hard, and in a way I鈥檓 having trouble putting into words. I came close to shedding tears at the end; not for Jennie as much as for humanity.
September 3, 2017
Theodore Dreiser l脿 nh脿 v膬n hi峄噉 th峄眂 ph锚 ph谩n ti锚u bi峄僽 c峄 n瓢峄沜 M末 膽岷 th岷� k峄� 20. Jennie Gerhardt ra 膽峄漣 n膬m 1911 k峄� v峄� nh芒n v岷璽 Jennie l脿 m峄檛 c么 g谩i xu岷 th芒n ngh猫o kh贸 nh瓢ng v么 c霉ng gi脿u t矛nh y锚u th瓢啤ng. C岷 hi峄僽 qua v峄� t矛nh h矛nh n瓢峄沜 M末 th峄漣 k矛 n脿y: Cu峄慽 th岷� k峄� XIX, trong s峄� c谩c n瓢峄沜 c么ng nghi峄噋 ti锚n ti岷縩. M末 l脿 n瓢峄沜 c贸 n峄乶 kinh t岷� ph谩t tri峄僴 h啤n c岷�. Trong 30 n膬m (1865 - 1894), M末 t峄� h脿ng th峄� t瓢 v瓢啤n l锚n h脿ng 膽岷 th岷� gi峄沬 v峄� s岷 xu岷 c么ng nghi峄噋 - b岷眓g 1/2 t峄昻g s岷 l瓢峄g c谩c n瓢峄沜 T芒y 脗u v脿 g岷 2 l岷 n瓢峄沜 Anh. S岷 xu岷 gang, th茅p, m谩y m贸c... chi岷縨 v峄� tr铆 h脿ng 膽岷 th岷� gi峄沬.
N膬m 1913, s岷 l瓢峄g gang, th茅p c峄 M末 v瓢峄 膼峄ヽ 2 l岷, v瓢峄 Anh 4 l岷 ; than g岷 2 l岷 Anh v脿 Ph谩p g峄檖 l岷. 膼峄� d脿i 膽瓢峄漬g s岷痶 c峄 M末 v瓢峄 t峄昻g chi峄乽 d脿i 膽瓢峄漬g s岷痶 T芒y 脗u (gia 膽矛nh Lester s峄� h峄痷 nhi峄乽 c么ng ti 膽瓢峄漬g s岷痶). 膼么 th峄� ho谩 v脿 c么ng nghi峄噋 ho谩 d岷玭 膽岷縩 nhi峄乽 h峄� lu峄� x茫 h峄檌 nh瓢 t峄� n岷, t峄檌 ph岷, ph芒n ho谩 gi脿u ngh猫o, v脿 鈥楩ortune hunting became a disease鈥�.
Trong 560 trang s谩ch 膽岷縩 550 trang ng瓢峄漣 膽峄峜 t峄� h峄廼: LESTER C脫 Y脢U JENNIE KH脭NG? N岷縰 y锚u n脿ng t岷 sao ch脿ng kh么ng h峄廼 c瓢峄沬 t峄� 膽岷? N岷縰 y锚u n脿ng t岷 sao ch脿ng l岷 t峄� ra l岷h l霉ng khi n脿ng bi岷縯 quy峄乶 th峄玜 k岷� c峄 ch脿ng b峄� 岷h h瓢峄焠g do n脿ng? N岷縰 y锚u n脿ng t岷 sao ch脿ng l岷 ng岷璸 ng峄玭g khi Letty h峄廼 ch脿ng c贸 y锚u n脿ng kh么ng? C貌n n岷縰 kh么ng y锚u n脿ng, t岷 sao ch脿ng t峄ヽ gi岷璶 v峄沬 b岷 di ch煤c c峄 cha, t岷 sao ch脿ng l岷 gi岷璶 gi峄� khi n脿ng 膽峄媙h b峄� 膽i, t岷 sao ch脿ng th瓢啤ng y锚u b峄� n脿ng v脿 con ri锚ng c峄 n脿ng 膽岷縩 v岷瓂? 膼岷縩 t岷璶 trang 550 ng瓢峄漣 膽峄峜 m峄沬 c贸 c芒u tr岷� l峄漣. C农ng d峄� hi峄僽 t岷 sao ch脿ng kh么ng y锚u Letty Pace, v矛 y锚u Letty kh谩c g矛 ch脿ng k岷縯 h么n v峄沬 ch铆nh b岷 th芒n m矛nh?
膼i峄乽 膽峄峮g l岷 nh岷 trong t谩c ph岷﹎ n脿y ch铆nh l脿 t矛nh c岷 gia 膽矛nh. C谩ch b脿 Gerhardt tin t瓢峄焠g v脿 b岷 v峄� con g谩i m矛nh d霉 c贸 b岷 c峄� chuy峄噉 g矛 x岷 ra, c谩ch 么ng Gerhardt tuy s霉ng 膽岷, c峄﹏g nh岷痗 nh瓢ng l岷 t岷璶 tu峄� v矛 con ch谩u. Ch煤ng ta suy ng岷玬 v峄� c谩ch 膽峄慽 x峄� v峄沬 cha m岷� l煤c gi脿 khi 么ng Gerhardt ph岷 s峄憂g nh峄� 峄� nh脿 m谩y n啤i m矛nh l脿m vi峄嘽, hay 膽谩m tang c峄 么ng ch峄� c贸 hai 膽峄゛ con 膽岷 xu岷 hi峄噉. C贸 膽谩ng kh么ng khi ng瓢峄漣 cha b峄� b峄弉g v矛 m瓢u sinh b峄� c谩c con 膽峄慽 x峄� nh瓢 v岷瓂?
Tr锚n th岷� gi峄沬 n脿y c峄 ch煤ng ta, ho岷 膽峄檔g c峄 膽峄漣 s峄憂g 膽峄檔g v岷璽 d瓢峄漬g nh瓢 b峄� gi峄沬 h岷 trong m峄檛 m岷穞 ph膬ng ho岷穋 m峄檛 膽瓢峄漬g tr貌n, nh瓢 th峄� 膽贸 l脿 m峄檛 s峄� c岷 thi岷縯 c峄� h峄痷 c峄 mu么n lo脿i tr锚n m峄檛 h脿nh tinh bu峄檆 ph岷 xoay quanh m岷穞 tr峄漣. Ch岷硁g h岷, con c谩 kh么ng th峄� v瓢峄 ra ngo脿i c谩i v貌ng tr貌n bi峄僴 c岷� m脿 kh么ng b峄� ti锚u di峄噒; con chim kh么ng th峄� v脿o m么i tr瓢峄漬g c峄 lo脿i c谩 m脿 kh么ng ph岷 tr岷� gi谩 bi 膽谩t. T峄� c谩c k铆 sinh tr霉ng c峄 c谩c lo脿i hoa cho 膽岷縩 nh峄痭g qu谩i v岷璽 c峄 r峄玭g r岷璵 v脿 bi峄僴 s芒u, ch煤ng ta 膽峄乽 nh岷璶 th岷 r玫 rang t铆nh ch岷 h岷 ch岷� trong chuy峄僴 膽峄檔g c峄 ch煤ng 鈥� theo c谩i c谩ch d峄﹖ kho谩t 岷, s峄� s峄憂g 膽茫 gi峄沬 h岷 ch煤ng trong m峄檛 ph岷 vi; v脿 ch煤ng ta 膽脿nh ghi nh岷璶 nh峄痭g k岷縯 qu岷� n峄眂 c瓢峄漣 v脿 bao gi峄� c农ng nguy h岷 c峄 b岷 k矛 c峄� g岷痭g n脿o c峄 c谩c sinh v岷璽 岷 khi ch煤ng mu峄憂 tho谩t ra kh峄廼 m么i tr瓢峄漬g c峄 m矛nh.
Tuy v岷瓂 trong tr瓢峄漬g h峄 con ng瓢峄漣, t谩c 膽峄檔g c峄 c谩i thuy岷縯 gi峄沬 h岷 n脿y, cho 膽岷縩 nay, ch瓢a 膽瓢峄 quan s谩t th岷璽 r玫 r脿ng. (鈥�) Sinh ra v脿 l峄沶 l锚n trong m么i tr瓢峄漬g n脿o, th峄眂 t岷� l脿 con ng瓢峄漣 kh么ng ph霉 h峄 v峄沬 b岷 k矛 t矛nh tr岷g n脿o kh谩c. Con ng瓢峄漣 khi 岷 gi峄憂g nh瓢 m峄檛 con chim 膽茫 quen v峄沬 m峄檛 m岷璽 膽峄� kh铆 quy峄僴 nh岷 膽峄媙h v脿 kh么ng th峄� s峄憂g tho岷 m谩i 峄� m峄檛 l峄沺 kh铆 quy峄僴 cao h啤n ho岷穋 th岷 h啤n.
M峄檛 k岷� c贸 ch煤t m谩u m岷穞 gi峄憂g h峄噒 nh瓢 m峄檛 con m猫o c贸 chu么ng 膽eo 峄� c峄�. M峄峣 con chu峄檛 膽峄乽 bi岷縯 r玫 con m猫o 峄� 膽芒u v脿 膽ang l脿m g矛.
Em ch岷硁g mong g矛 m矛nh l脿 c岷� v农 tr峄� 膽峄慽 v峄沬 m峄檛 ng瓢峄漣 膽脿n 么ng, tr峄� phi anh ta mu峄憂 em nh瓢 v岷瓂.
Tr锚n 膽峄漣 n脿y ch峄� c贸 t矛nh y锚u th么i th矛 ch瓢a 膽峄�. Ng瓢峄漣 ta c岷 ph岷 c贸 h峄峜 v岷, gi脿u sang, 膽瓢峄 r猫n luy峄噉, c贸 kh岷� n膬ng tranh 膽岷 v脿 c啤 m瓢u. (Love was not enough in this world - that was so plain. One needed education, wealth, training, the ability to fight and scheme.)
People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
N膬m 1913, s岷 l瓢峄g gang, th茅p c峄 M末 v瓢峄 膼峄ヽ 2 l岷, v瓢峄 Anh 4 l岷 ; than g岷 2 l岷 Anh v脿 Ph谩p g峄檖 l岷. 膼峄� d脿i 膽瓢峄漬g s岷痶 c峄 M末 v瓢峄 t峄昻g chi峄乽 d脿i 膽瓢峄漬g s岷痶 T芒y 脗u (gia 膽矛nh Lester s峄� h峄痷 nhi峄乽 c么ng ti 膽瓢峄漬g s岷痶). 膼么 th峄� ho谩 v脿 c么ng nghi峄噋 ho谩 d岷玭 膽岷縩 nhi峄乽 h峄� lu峄� x茫 h峄檌 nh瓢 t峄� n岷, t峄檌 ph岷, ph芒n ho谩 gi脿u ngh猫o, v脿 鈥楩ortune hunting became a disease鈥�.
Trong 560 trang s谩ch 膽岷縩 550 trang ng瓢峄漣 膽峄峜 t峄� h峄廼: LESTER C脫 Y脢U JENNIE KH脭NG? N岷縰 y锚u n脿ng t岷 sao ch脿ng kh么ng h峄廼 c瓢峄沬 t峄� 膽岷? N岷縰 y锚u n脿ng t岷 sao ch脿ng l岷 t峄� ra l岷h l霉ng khi n脿ng bi岷縯 quy峄乶 th峄玜 k岷� c峄 ch脿ng b峄� 岷h h瓢峄焠g do n脿ng? N岷縰 y锚u n脿ng t岷 sao ch脿ng l岷 ng岷璸 ng峄玭g khi Letty h峄廼 ch脿ng c贸 y锚u n脿ng kh么ng? C貌n n岷縰 kh么ng y锚u n脿ng, t岷 sao ch脿ng t峄ヽ gi岷璶 v峄沬 b岷 di ch煤c c峄 cha, t岷 sao ch脿ng l岷 gi岷璶 gi峄� khi n脿ng 膽峄媙h b峄� 膽i, t岷 sao ch脿ng th瓢啤ng y锚u b峄� n脿ng v脿 con ri锚ng c峄 n脿ng 膽岷縩 v岷瓂? 膼岷縩 t岷璶 trang 550 ng瓢峄漣 膽峄峜 m峄沬 c贸 c芒u tr岷� l峄漣. C农ng d峄� hi峄僽 t岷 sao ch脿ng kh么ng y锚u Letty Pace, v矛 y锚u Letty kh谩c g矛 ch脿ng k岷縯 h么n v峄沬 ch铆nh b岷 th芒n m矛nh?
膼i峄乽 膽峄峮g l岷 nh岷 trong t谩c ph岷﹎ n脿y ch铆nh l脿 t矛nh c岷 gia 膽矛nh. C谩ch b脿 Gerhardt tin t瓢峄焠g v脿 b岷 v峄� con g谩i m矛nh d霉 c贸 b岷 c峄� chuy峄噉 g矛 x岷 ra, c谩ch 么ng Gerhardt tuy s霉ng 膽岷, c峄﹏g nh岷痗 nh瓢ng l岷 t岷璶 tu峄� v矛 con ch谩u. Ch煤ng ta suy ng岷玬 v峄� c谩ch 膽峄慽 x峄� v峄沬 cha m岷� l煤c gi脿 khi 么ng Gerhardt ph岷 s峄憂g nh峄� 峄� nh脿 m谩y n啤i m矛nh l脿m vi峄嘽, hay 膽谩m tang c峄 么ng ch峄� c贸 hai 膽峄゛ con 膽岷 xu岷 hi峄噉. C贸 膽谩ng kh么ng khi ng瓢峄漣 cha b峄� b峄弉g v矛 m瓢u sinh b峄� c谩c con 膽峄慽 x峄� nh瓢 v岷瓂?
Tr锚n th岷� gi峄沬 n脿y c峄 ch煤ng ta, ho岷 膽峄檔g c峄 膽峄漣 s峄憂g 膽峄檔g v岷璽 d瓢峄漬g nh瓢 b峄� gi峄沬 h岷 trong m峄檛 m岷穞 ph膬ng ho岷穋 m峄檛 膽瓢峄漬g tr貌n, nh瓢 th峄� 膽贸 l脿 m峄檛 s峄� c岷 thi岷縯 c峄� h峄痷 c峄 mu么n lo脿i tr锚n m峄檛 h脿nh tinh bu峄檆 ph岷 xoay quanh m岷穞 tr峄漣. Ch岷硁g h岷, con c谩 kh么ng th峄� v瓢峄 ra ngo脿i c谩i v貌ng tr貌n bi峄僴 c岷� m脿 kh么ng b峄� ti锚u di峄噒; con chim kh么ng th峄� v脿o m么i tr瓢峄漬g c峄 lo脿i c谩 m脿 kh么ng ph岷 tr岷� gi谩 bi 膽谩t. T峄� c谩c k铆 sinh tr霉ng c峄 c谩c lo脿i hoa cho 膽岷縩 nh峄痭g qu谩i v岷璽 c峄 r峄玭g r岷璵 v脿 bi峄僴 s芒u, ch煤ng ta 膽峄乽 nh岷璶 th岷 r玫 rang t铆nh ch岷 h岷 ch岷� trong chuy峄僴 膽峄檔g c峄 ch煤ng 鈥� theo c谩i c谩ch d峄﹖ kho谩t 岷, s峄� s峄憂g 膽茫 gi峄沬 h岷 ch煤ng trong m峄檛 ph岷 vi; v脿 ch煤ng ta 膽脿nh ghi nh岷璶 nh峄痭g k岷縯 qu岷� n峄眂 c瓢峄漣 v脿 bao gi峄� c农ng nguy h岷 c峄 b岷 k矛 c峄� g岷痭g n脿o c峄 c谩c sinh v岷璽 岷 khi ch煤ng mu峄憂 tho谩t ra kh峄廼 m么i tr瓢峄漬g c峄 m矛nh.
Tuy v岷瓂 trong tr瓢峄漬g h峄 con ng瓢峄漣, t谩c 膽峄檔g c峄 c谩i thuy岷縯 gi峄沬 h岷 n脿y, cho 膽岷縩 nay, ch瓢a 膽瓢峄 quan s谩t th岷璽 r玫 r脿ng. (鈥�) Sinh ra v脿 l峄沶 l锚n trong m么i tr瓢峄漬g n脿o, th峄眂 t岷� l脿 con ng瓢峄漣 kh么ng ph霉 h峄 v峄沬 b岷 k矛 t矛nh tr岷g n脿o kh谩c. Con ng瓢峄漣 khi 岷 gi峄憂g nh瓢 m峄檛 con chim 膽茫 quen v峄沬 m峄檛 m岷璽 膽峄� kh铆 quy峄僴 nh岷 膽峄媙h v脿 kh么ng th峄� s峄憂g tho岷 m谩i 峄� m峄檛 l峄沺 kh铆 quy峄僴 cao h啤n ho岷穋 th岷 h啤n.
M峄檛 k岷� c贸 ch煤t m谩u m岷穞 gi峄憂g h峄噒 nh瓢 m峄檛 con m猫o c贸 chu么ng 膽eo 峄� c峄�. M峄峣 con chu峄檛 膽峄乽 bi岷縯 r玫 con m猫o 峄� 膽芒u v脿 膽ang l脿m g矛.
Em ch岷硁g mong g矛 m矛nh l脿 c岷� v农 tr峄� 膽峄慽 v峄沬 m峄檛 ng瓢峄漣 膽脿n 么ng, tr峄� phi anh ta mu峄憂 em nh瓢 v岷瓂.
Tr锚n 膽峄漣 n脿y ch峄� c贸 t矛nh y锚u th么i th矛 ch瓢a 膽峄�. Ng瓢峄漣 ta c岷 ph岷 c贸 h峄峜 v岷, gi脿u sang, 膽瓢峄 r猫n luy峄噉, c贸 kh岷� n膬ng tranh 膽岷 v脿 c啤 m瓢u. (Love was not enough in this world - that was so plain. One needed education, wealth, training, the ability to fight and scheme.)
People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
August 14, 2018
"... 醿涐儤醿� 醿椺儠醿愥儦醿儤醿� 醿掅儬醿償醿氠儤 醿撫儛 醿溼儛醿︶儠醿氠儤醿愥儨醿� 醿涐儛醿犪儮醿濁儩醿戓儤醿� 醿儦醿斸儜醿� 醿掅儛醿儤醿涐儯醿氠儤醿п儩. 醿涐償醿犪償 醿犪儛 醿樶儱醿溼償醿戓儛 ? 醿償醿� 醿儩醿� 醿涐儩醿儯醿儤 醿愥儬 醿愥儬醿樶儭. 醿涐償醿犪償 ? 醿斸儬醿椺儧醿愥儨醿斸儣醿� 醿涐儤醿搬儳醿曖償醿戓儛 醿ａ儰醿斸儬醿ａ儦醿� 醿撫儲醿斸償醿戓儤醿� 醿掅儬醿償醿氠儤 醿涐儸醿欋儬醿樶儠醿�,醿涐儛醿掅儬醿愥儧 醿涐償醿犪償 ? "
醿♂儛醿♂儤醿愥儧醿濁儠醿溼儩 醿樶儳醿�,醿涐儛醿掅儬醿愥儧 醿┽償醿涐儣醿曖儤醿� 醿儛醿氠儤醿愥儨 醿ㄡ儩醿犪償醿ａ儦醿�. 醿曖償醿� 醿曖儤醿⑨儳醿曖儤 醿愥儧 醿儤醿掅儨醿栣償 醿犪儩醿� 醿欋儦醿愥儭醿樶儥醿愥儛,醿涐儛醿メ儭醿樶儧醿ａ儧 醿犪儛醿涐儞醿斸儨醿樶儧醿� 醿償醿氠儤 醿樶儮醿犪儤醿愥儦醿濁儭 醿欋儤醿撫償醿� 醿撫儛 醿涐償醿犪償 醿撫儛醿樶儥醿愥儬醿掅償醿戓儛. 醿樶儧醿愥儭 醿愥儬 醿曖儛醿涐儜醿濁儜 醿犪儩醿� 醿儯醿撫儤醿�,醿斸儭 3 醿曖儛醿犪儭醿欋儠醿氠儛醿曖儤醿� 醿撫儛醿樶儧醿♂儛醿儯醿犪儛,醿涐儛醿掅儬醿愥儧 醿栣償醿撫儧醿斸儮醿愥儞 醿撫儬醿濁儧醿濁儹醿涐儯醿氠儤醿�.醿椺儯醿涐儶醿� 醿償醿犪儤醿� 醿♂儮醿樶儦醿� 醿撫儛醿儠醿斸儸醿樶儦醿� 醿樶儳醿� 醿撫儛 醿涐儤醿ａ儺醿斸儞醿愥儠醿愥儞 醿樶儧醿樶儭醿� 醿犪儩醿� 醿溼儛醿儨醿濁儜醿� 醿愥儨 醿♂儛醿樶儨醿⑨償醿犪償醿♂儩 醿愥儬醿愥儰醿斸儬醿� 醿儞醿斸儜醿濁儞醿� 醿愥儬 醿撫儛醿曖儲醿氠儤醿氠儠醿愥儬,醿♂儛醿♂儤醿愥儧醿濁儠醿溼儩醿� 醿┽儛醿曖儤醿欋儤醿椺儺醿�.
醿♂儛醿斸儬醿椺儩醿� 醿欋儦醿愥儭醿樶儥醿樶儭 醿掅儛醿掅償醿戓儛 醿儛醿氠儤醿愥儨 醿儯醿撫儤醿� 醿メ儛醿犪儣醿曖償醿� 醿涐儥醿樶儣醿儠醿斸儦醿斸儜醿ㄡ儤,醿♂儛醿戓儩醿氠儩醿濁儞 醿掅儛醿曖儛醿儨醿濁儜醿樶償醿犪償 醿犪儛醿� 醿斸儭 醿儤醿掅儨醿� 醿撫儛醿曖儛醿涐儣醿愥儠醿犪償.
醿愥儺醿氠儛 醿儛醿曖儛醿� 醿撫儛 醿曖儤醿溼儧醿� 醿♂儛醿� 醿め儛醿樶儭 醿愥儠醿⑨儩醿犪儭 醿愥儨 醿炨儛醿氠儛醿溼儤醿欋儤醿� 醿儤醿氠儤醿♂優醿樶儬醿ａ儦醿� 醿撫儛醿曖儤醿儳醿斸儜,醿┽償醿� 醿炨儤醿犪儛醿� 醿欋儦醿愥儭醿樶儥醿斸儜醿�
醿♂儛醿♂儤醿愥儧醿濁儠醿溼儩 醿樶儳醿�,醿涐儛醿掅儬醿愥儧 醿┽償醿涐儣醿曖儤醿� 醿儛醿氠儤醿愥儨 醿ㄡ儩醿犪償醿ａ儦醿�. 醿曖償醿� 醿曖儤醿⑨儳醿曖儤 醿愥儧 醿儤醿掅儨醿栣償 醿犪儩醿� 醿欋儦醿愥儭醿樶儥醿愥儛,醿涐儛醿メ儭醿樶儧醿ａ儧 醿犪儛醿涐儞醿斸儨醿樶儧醿� 醿償醿氠儤 醿樶儮醿犪儤醿愥儦醿濁儭 醿欋儤醿撫償醿� 醿撫儛 醿涐償醿犪償 醿撫儛醿樶儥醿愥儬醿掅償醿戓儛. 醿樶儧醿愥儭 醿愥儬 醿曖儛醿涐儜醿濁儜 醿犪儩醿� 醿儯醿撫儤醿�,醿斸儭 3 醿曖儛醿犪儭醿欋儠醿氠儛醿曖儤醿� 醿撫儛醿樶儧醿♂儛醿儯醿犪儛,醿涐儛醿掅儬醿愥儧 醿栣償醿撫儧醿斸儮醿愥儞 醿撫儬醿濁儧醿濁儹醿涐儯醿氠儤醿�.醿椺儯醿涐儶醿� 醿償醿犪儤醿� 醿♂儮醿樶儦醿� 醿撫儛醿儠醿斸儸醿樶儦醿� 醿樶儳醿� 醿撫儛 醿涐儤醿ａ儺醿斸儞醿愥儠醿愥儞 醿樶儧醿樶儭醿� 醿犪儩醿� 醿溼儛醿儨醿濁儜醿� 醿愥儨 醿♂儛醿樶儨醿⑨償醿犪償醿♂儩 醿愥儬醿愥儰醿斸儬醿� 醿儞醿斸儜醿濁儞醿� 醿愥儬 醿撫儛醿曖儲醿氠儤醿氠儠醿愥儬,醿♂儛醿♂儤醿愥儧醿濁儠醿溼儩醿� 醿┽儛醿曖儤醿欋儤醿椺儺醿�.
醿♂儛醿斸儬醿椺儩醿� 醿欋儦醿愥儭醿樶儥醿樶儭 醿掅儛醿掅償醿戓儛 醿儛醿氠儤醿愥儨 醿儯醿撫儤醿� 醿メ儛醿犪儣醿曖償醿� 醿涐儥醿樶儣醿儠醿斸儦醿斸儜醿ㄡ儤,醿♂儛醿戓儩醿氠儩醿濁儞 醿掅儛醿曖儛醿儨醿濁儜醿樶償醿犪償 醿犪儛醿� 醿斸儭 醿儤醿掅儨醿� 醿撫儛醿曖儛醿涐儣醿愥儠醿犪償.
醿愥儺醿氠儛 醿儛醿曖儛醿� 醿撫儛 醿曖儤醿溼儧醿� 醿♂儛醿� 醿め儛醿樶儭 醿愥儠醿⑨儩醿犪儭 醿愥儨 醿炨儛醿氠儛醿溼儤醿欋儤醿� 醿儤醿氠儤醿♂優醿樶儬醿ａ儦醿� 醿撫儛醿曖儤醿儳醿斸儜,醿┽償醿� 醿炨儤醿犪儛醿� 醿欋儦醿愥儭醿樶儥醿斸儜醿�
November 22, 2016
脟ox t蓹sir etdi, 莽ox.
Want to read
August 29, 2020 Oh my gosh, just how many more good books can I expect from Theodore Dreiser? Too much! I am gonna be in a reading slump...馃槖馃槪馃槶馃ぉ馃憦
September 23, 2021
袙芯褋褏懈褌懈褌械谢褜薪邪褟 泻薪懈谐邪. 袨褔械薪褜 锌芯薪褉邪胁懈谢邪褋褜. 袟邪褋褌邪胁谢褟械褌 褋芯锌械褉械卸懈胁邪褌褜 谐械褉芯褟屑.
December 11, 2022
okay maybe dreiser's third novel with literally the same plot as the others is too much for me
January 2, 2023
"THE WORLD INTO which Jennie was thus unduly thrust forth was that in which virtue has always vainly struggled since time immemorial; for virtue is the wishing well and the doing well unto others. Virtue is that quality of generosity which offers itself willingly for another鈥檚 service, and, being this, it is held by society to be nearly worthless. Sell yourself cheaply and you shall be used lightly and trampled under foot. Hold yourself dearly, however unworthily, and you will be respected. Society, in the mass, lacks woefully in the matter of discrimination. Its one criterion is the opinion of others. Its one test that of self-preservation. Has he preserved his fortune? Has she preserved her purity? Only in rare instances and with rare individuals does there seem to be any guiding light from within."
"There comes a time in every thinking man鈥檚 life when he pauses and 鈥渢akes stock鈥� of his condition; when he asks himself how it fares with his individuality as a whole, mental, moral, physical, material. This time comes after the first heedless flights of youth have passed, when the initiative and more powerful efforts have been made, and he begins to feel the uncertainty of results and final values which attaches itself to everything. There is a deadening thought of uselessness which creeps into many men鈥檚 minds 鈥� the thought which has been best expressed by the Preacher in Ecclesiastes."
Following the 1900 publishing of his first novel, Sister Carrie, it was another eleven years before Theodore Dreiser would eventually publish his next novel which he originally entitled The Transgressor, but would finally publish as Jennie Gerhardt. Dreiser admitted, years later that he didn't like this novel, which was postponed in 1903 due to a nervous breakdown. The novel, however, has become more well received as time progresses and has been compared with such great literature as Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles.
Personally, I didn't feel that the author gave himself enough credit for this novel, but on the other hand, it has been many years since I read Sister Carrie, and I'm not certain I want to deal with the sadness of An American Tragedy. Regardless, I felt that Jennie Gerhardt was an amazing novel, and I'm not sure why it isn't read more often. I suppose it is due to several factors that could probably make the novel practically repulsive in today's environment. In Dreiser's time, a young lady that has a child out of wedlock was not only frowned upon, but the resultant consequence for the immediate family was effectively horrifying. In essence the family becomes an anathema, and could result in its destruction and downfall. In addition, the treatment of the protagonist of the novel by various male characters, including her father, could be considered abhorrent by today's standards.
That said, most readers should realize that Dreiser was a realist in his writing, which was not only scandalous at the time, but would almost be hard to accept in present circumstances. Nevertheless, I feel that American realists such as Dreiser and even those in Europe such as Balzac and Hardy blazed trails that would allow the general public to notice offenses that ensued around them, thus resulting in necessary social change. They were the literary unsung heroes, but there were consequences. No wonder Hardy eventually stopped writing novels after his disgrace following the publishing of Jude the Obscure.
For me, Jennie Gerhardt was a novel that was so beautifully written that it causes a reader to become poignantly involved in its characters which is a very difficult accomplishment for any author. Descriptions are beautifully created, events are written in a way that will, either, touch or outrage the reader, and characters are formed with a depth that only a writer of great ability can accomplish. For example, Jennie Gerhardt, the protagonist, is a tragic figure who, overall, is a quiet unassuming young lady that is continually forced to make disastrous choices. It is as if she is the person who is always acted upon, and never has the chance to act for herself. Consequently, it is a sad tale, but one that is so exquisitely sculpted that the reader can't help but continue on regardless of the outcome. Thus, in my opinion, the novel is nothing but a work of art and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is one of those novels that makes the reader exclaim throughout, and finally, at the end, one can't help but to sit for a period and simply consider the ramifications of it all. I recommend this novel to all, but I almost guarantee that for some, they will be offended and angry. If you can see past your enmity and understand Dreiser's historical motivations, you may discover a brilliant gem that has been hidden from your view.
"There comes a time in every thinking man鈥檚 life when he pauses and 鈥渢akes stock鈥� of his condition; when he asks himself how it fares with his individuality as a whole, mental, moral, physical, material. This time comes after the first heedless flights of youth have passed, when the initiative and more powerful efforts have been made, and he begins to feel the uncertainty of results and final values which attaches itself to everything. There is a deadening thought of uselessness which creeps into many men鈥檚 minds 鈥� the thought which has been best expressed by the Preacher in Ecclesiastes."
Following the 1900 publishing of his first novel, Sister Carrie, it was another eleven years before Theodore Dreiser would eventually publish his next novel which he originally entitled The Transgressor, but would finally publish as Jennie Gerhardt. Dreiser admitted, years later that he didn't like this novel, which was postponed in 1903 due to a nervous breakdown. The novel, however, has become more well received as time progresses and has been compared with such great literature as Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles.
Personally, I didn't feel that the author gave himself enough credit for this novel, but on the other hand, it has been many years since I read Sister Carrie, and I'm not certain I want to deal with the sadness of An American Tragedy. Regardless, I felt that Jennie Gerhardt was an amazing novel, and I'm not sure why it isn't read more often. I suppose it is due to several factors that could probably make the novel practically repulsive in today's environment. In Dreiser's time, a young lady that has a child out of wedlock was not only frowned upon, but the resultant consequence for the immediate family was effectively horrifying. In essence the family becomes an anathema, and could result in its destruction and downfall. In addition, the treatment of the protagonist of the novel by various male characters, including her father, could be considered abhorrent by today's standards.
That said, most readers should realize that Dreiser was a realist in his writing, which was not only scandalous at the time, but would almost be hard to accept in present circumstances. Nevertheless, I feel that American realists such as Dreiser and even those in Europe such as Balzac and Hardy blazed trails that would allow the general public to notice offenses that ensued around them, thus resulting in necessary social change. They were the literary unsung heroes, but there were consequences. No wonder Hardy eventually stopped writing novels after his disgrace following the publishing of Jude the Obscure.
For me, Jennie Gerhardt was a novel that was so beautifully written that it causes a reader to become poignantly involved in its characters which is a very difficult accomplishment for any author. Descriptions are beautifully created, events are written in a way that will, either, touch or outrage the reader, and characters are formed with a depth that only a writer of great ability can accomplish. For example, Jennie Gerhardt, the protagonist, is a tragic figure who, overall, is a quiet unassuming young lady that is continually forced to make disastrous choices. It is as if she is the person who is always acted upon, and never has the chance to act for herself. Consequently, it is a sad tale, but one that is so exquisitely sculpted that the reader can't help but continue on regardless of the outcome. Thus, in my opinion, the novel is nothing but a work of art and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is one of those novels that makes the reader exclaim throughout, and finally, at the end, one can't help but to sit for a period and simply consider the ramifications of it all. I recommend this novel to all, but I almost guarantee that for some, they will be offended and angry. If you can see past your enmity and understand Dreiser's historical motivations, you may discover a brilliant gem that has been hidden from your view.
November 19, 2018
袣褉邪褋懈胁邪褟, 锌械褔邪谢褜薪邪褟 泻薪懈谐邪, 芯斜芯谐邪褖邪褞褖邪褟 写褍褕褍 懈 胁褘褋胁械褔懈胁邪褞褖邪褟 胁邪卸薪褘械 胁芯锌褉芯褋褘. 小邪屑邪 锌芯 褋械斜械 芦袛卸械薪薪懈 袚械褉褏邪褉写褌禄 鈥� 芯褔械薪褜 褏褍写芯卸械褋褌胁械薪薪邪褟 泻薪懈谐邪, 褔褌械薪懈械 泻芯褌芯褉芯泄 写芯褋褌邪胁懈谢芯 屑薪械 斜芯谢褜褕芯械 褍写芯胁芯谢褜褋褌胁懈械. 袣褉邪泄薪械 斜褘褋褌褉芯 懈 谢械谐泻芯 屑薪械 斜褘谢芯 械褢 褔懈褌邪褌褜. 袧芯 褌邪 褋褌褉邪褋褌薪邪褟 谐谢褍斜懈薪邪 褋屑褘褋谢芯胁, 泻芯褌芯褉褍褞 斜械褋褋褌褉邪褋褌薪芯 锌芯写薪懈屑邪械褌 袛褉邪泄蟹械褉, 薪械 芯褋褌邪胁懈谢邪 褉邪胁薪芯写褍褕薪褘屑 屑芯褢 褋械褉写褑械.
孝邪泻卸械 屑芯卸薪芯 芯斜褉邪褌懈褌褜褋褟 懈 泻 锌械褉褋锌械泻褌懈胁械 锌褋懈褏芯谢芯谐懈懈 胁械褉褌懈泻邪谢褜薪芯谐芯 褉邪蟹胁懈褌懈褟 鈥� 褋褌邪写懈泄 褉邪蟹胁懈褌懈褟 蟹褉械谢芯褋褌懈. 袧邪 锌褉懈屑械褉械 屑芯写械谢械泄 胁械褉褌懈泻邪谢褜薪芯谐芯 褉邪蟹胁懈褌懈褟, 褌邪泻懈褏 泻邪泻 褌械芯褉懈褟 褉邪蟹胁懈褌懈褟 褝谐芯 袛卸械泄薪 袥褢胁懈薪写卸械褉/小褞蟹邪薪薪褘 袣褍泻-袚褉芯泄褌械褉 懈 褋锌懈褉邪谢褜薪邪褟 写懈薪邪屑懈泻邪, 芯褋薪芯胁邪薪锟斤拷邪褟 薪邪 褌褉褍写邪褏 袣谢褝褉邪 袚褉械泄胁蟹邪, 屑芯卸薪芯 泻芯薪褋褌邪褌懈褉芯胁邪褌褜, 褔褌芯 胁 泻薪懈谐械 芯锌懈褋褘胁邪械褌褋褟 卸懈蟹薪械薪薪芯械 写胁懈卸械薪懈械 懈 褋褌芯谢泻薪芯胁械薪懈械 薪械褋泻芯谢褜泻懈褏 褑械薪薪芯褋褌薪褘褏 屑邪褌褉懈褑 懈 褍褉芯胁薪械泄 褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟. 袣邪卸写褘泄 褍褉芯胁械薪褜-褋褌邪写懈褟 褉邪蟹胁懈褌懈褟 褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟 芯斜褉邪蟹褍械褌 褋胁芯泄 泻褉褍谐 芯斜褖械褋褌胁邪, 褋芯 褋胁芯懈屑懈 褑械薪薪芯褋褌褟屑懈. 袛褉邪泄蟹械褉 胁 褌芯褔薪芯褋褌懈 锌械褉械写邪褢褌 泻褉邪泄薪械 泻芯薪褋械褉胁邪褌懈胁薪褘械 薪褉邪胁褘 褎褍薪写邪屑械薪褌邪谢懈褋褌褋泻芯谐芯 泻芯薪胁械薪褑懈芯薪邪谢褜薪芯谐芯 锌谢邪褋褌邪 褋邪屑芯褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟; 锌械褉械写邪褢褌 芯薪 懈 褋褌邪薪芯胁谢械薪懈械 薪邪胁褘泻芯褑械薪褌褉懈褉芯胁邪薪薪芯泄, 褉械屑械褋谢械薪薪懈褔械褋泻芯泄 褋褌邪写懈懈 褋邪屑芯褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟 褋 褏邪褉邪泻褌械褉薪褘屑懈 写谢褟 薪械褢 褋懈谢褜薪褘屑懈 褋褌芯褉芯薪邪屑懈 懈 锌械褉械谐懈斜邪屑懈; 芯锌懈褋褘胁邪械褌 芯薪 懈 褔懈褋褌褘械, 褟褋薪褘械 锌芯褉褘胁褘 写芯斜褉芯褋芯胁械褋褌薪芯泄 褉邪褑懈芯薪邪谢褜薪芯泄 褋褌邪写懈懈 谢懈褔薪芯褋褌懈, 芯锌懈褉邪褞褖械泄褋褟 薪邪 褋懈褋褌械屑褘 写芯褋褌懈卸械薪懈泄 懈 锌褉芯褋褔懈褌褘胁邪褞褖械泄 褏芯写褘, 褋芯蟹写邪褞褖械泄 懈 褉械邪谢懈蟹褍褞褖械泄 写械谢芯胁褘械 锌褉芯械泻褌褘. 袙褋械 褝褌懈 褋褌邪写懈懈 褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟 胁蟹邪懈屑芯锌械褉械锌谢械褌械薪褘 懈 褋芯褌胁芯褉褟褞褌 锌谢邪胁懈谢褜薪褘泄 泻芯褌褢谢 懈蟹 泻褍谢褜褌褍褉薪芯谐芯 锌芯谢褟, 胁谢懈褟薪懈褟 泻芯褌芯褉芯谐芯 薪械 懈蟹斜械卸邪褌褜 写邪卸械 褋邪屑芯泄 褋懈谢褜薪芯泄 谢懈褔薪芯褋褌懈 (芯褋芯斜械薪薪芯 械褋谢懈 褉械褔褜 懈写褢褌 芯斜 芯褋褍卸写械薪懈懈).
袛褉邪泄蟹械褉 胁械谢懈泻芯谢械锌薪芯 胁褘褋胁械褔懈胁邪械褌 褌邪泻卸械 懈 褌芯, 褔褌芯 写褉褍谐芯泄 邪屑械褉懈泻邪薪械褑, 褍卸械 薪邪褕 褋芯胁褉械屑械薪薪懈泻, 褎懈谢芯褋芯褎 袣械薪 校懈谢斜械褉, 胁 褋胁芯械泄 懈薪褌械谐褉邪谢褜薪芯泄 屑械褌邪褎懈谢芯褋芯褎懈懈 薪邪蟹褘胁邪械褌 胁谢懈褟薪懈械屑 褋懈褋褌械屑薪芯谐芯 (薪懈卸薪械-锌褉邪胁芯谐芯 胁 械谐芯 AQAL-屑芯写械谢懈) 泻胁邪写褉邪薪褌邪: 褝泻芯薪芯屑懈褔械褋泻懈械 褍褋谢芯胁懈褟 斜褘褌邪, 褍褋褌褉芯泄褋褌胁芯 芯斜褖械褋褌胁邪, 胁 泻芯褌芯褉芯屑 械褋褌褜 写械谢械薪懈械 薪邪 泻谢邪褋褋褘 写芯褋褌邪褌泻邪, 懈 泻邪卸写芯屑褍 泻谢邪褋褋褍 写芯褋褌褍锌械薪 芯谐褉邪薪懈褔械薪薪褘泄 褍写械谢 胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯褋褌械泄. 袧械 褌芯谢褜泻芯 袛褉邪泄蟹械褉 芯锌懈褋褘胁邪械褌 胁薪褍褌褉械薪薪懈械 锌械褉械卸懈胁邪薪懈褟, 褔褍胁褋褌胁芯胁邪薪懈褟, 薪褉邪胁褋褌胁械薪薪褘械 褔邪褟薪懈褟 懈 褉邪蟹屑褘褕谢械薪懈褟 褋胁芯懈褏 谐械褉芯械胁 (泻胁邪写褉邪薪褌 懈薪写懈胁懈写褍邪谢褜薪芯谐芯 褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟, 胁械褉褏薪械-锌褉邪胁褘泄), 薪芯 懈 褌芯, 泻邪泻芯械 褎芯褉屑懈褉褍褞褖械械 胁谢懈褟薪懈械 芯泻邪蟹褘胁邪械褌 泻褍谢褜褌褍褉薪芯械 锌芯谢械 褋 械谐芯 屑薪芯谐芯褋谢芯泄薪褘屑懈 薪褉邪胁邪屑懈 懈 芯斜褘褔邪褟屑懈 (泻褍谢褜褌褍褉薪褘泄, 懈谢懈 薪懈卸薪械-谢械胁褘泄, 泻胁邪写褉邪薪褌).
孝邪泻卸械 屑芯卸薪芯 芯斜褉邪褌懈褌褜褋褟 懈 泻 锌械褉褋锌械泻褌懈胁械 锌褋懈褏芯谢芯谐懈懈 胁械褉褌懈泻邪谢褜薪芯谐芯 褉邪蟹胁懈褌懈褟 鈥� 褋褌邪写懈泄 褉邪蟹胁懈褌懈褟 蟹褉械谢芯褋褌懈. 袧邪 锌褉懈屑械褉械 屑芯写械谢械泄 胁械褉褌懈泻邪谢褜薪芯谐芯 褉邪蟹胁懈褌懈褟, 褌邪泻懈褏 泻邪泻 褌械芯褉懈褟 褉邪蟹胁懈褌懈褟 褝谐芯 袛卸械泄薪 袥褢胁懈薪写卸械褉/小褞蟹邪薪薪褘 袣褍泻-袚褉芯泄褌械褉 懈 褋锌懈褉邪谢褜薪邪褟 写懈薪邪屑懈泻邪, 芯褋薪芯胁邪薪锟斤拷邪褟 薪邪 褌褉褍写邪褏 袣谢褝褉邪 袚褉械泄胁蟹邪, 屑芯卸薪芯 泻芯薪褋褌邪褌懈褉芯胁邪褌褜, 褔褌芯 胁 泻薪懈谐械 芯锌懈褋褘胁邪械褌褋褟 卸懈蟹薪械薪薪芯械 写胁懈卸械薪懈械 懈 褋褌芯谢泻薪芯胁械薪懈械 薪械褋泻芯谢褜泻懈褏 褑械薪薪芯褋褌薪褘褏 屑邪褌褉懈褑 懈 褍褉芯胁薪械泄 褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟. 袣邪卸写褘泄 褍褉芯胁械薪褜-褋褌邪写懈褟 褉邪蟹胁懈褌懈褟 褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟 芯斜褉邪蟹褍械褌 褋胁芯泄 泻褉褍谐 芯斜褖械褋褌胁邪, 褋芯 褋胁芯懈屑懈 褑械薪薪芯褋褌褟屑懈. 袛褉邪泄蟹械褉 胁 褌芯褔薪芯褋褌懈 锌械褉械写邪褢褌 泻褉邪泄薪械 泻芯薪褋械褉胁邪褌懈胁薪褘械 薪褉邪胁褘 褎褍薪写邪屑械薪褌邪谢懈褋褌褋泻芯谐芯 泻芯薪胁械薪褑懈芯薪邪谢褜薪芯谐芯 锌谢邪褋褌邪 褋邪屑芯褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟; 锌械褉械写邪褢褌 芯薪 懈 褋褌邪薪芯胁谢械薪懈械 薪邪胁褘泻芯褑械薪褌褉懈褉芯胁邪薪薪芯泄, 褉械屑械褋谢械薪薪懈褔械褋泻芯泄 褋褌邪写懈懈 褋邪屑芯褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟 褋 褏邪褉邪泻褌械褉薪褘屑懈 写谢褟 薪械褢 褋懈谢褜薪褘屑懈 褋褌芯褉芯薪邪屑懈 懈 锌械褉械谐懈斜邪屑懈; 芯锌懈褋褘胁邪械褌 芯薪 懈 褔懈褋褌褘械, 褟褋薪褘械 锌芯褉褘胁褘 写芯斜褉芯褋芯胁械褋褌薪芯泄 褉邪褑懈芯薪邪谢褜薪芯泄 褋褌邪写懈懈 谢懈褔薪芯褋褌懈, 芯锌懈褉邪褞褖械泄褋褟 薪邪 褋懈褋褌械屑褘 写芯褋褌懈卸械薪懈泄 懈 锌褉芯褋褔懈褌褘胁邪褞褖械泄 褏芯写褘, 褋芯蟹写邪褞褖械泄 懈 褉械邪谢懈蟹褍褞褖械泄 写械谢芯胁褘械 锌褉芯械泻褌褘. 袙褋械 褝褌懈 褋褌邪写懈懈 褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟 胁蟹邪懈屑芯锌械褉械锌谢械褌械薪褘 懈 褋芯褌胁芯褉褟褞褌 锌谢邪胁懈谢褜薪褘泄 泻芯褌褢谢 懈蟹 泻褍谢褜褌褍褉薪芯谐芯 锌芯谢褟, 胁谢懈褟薪懈褟 泻芯褌芯褉芯谐芯 薪械 懈蟹斜械卸邪褌褜 写邪卸械 褋邪屑芯泄 褋懈谢褜薪芯泄 谢懈褔薪芯褋褌懈 (芯褋芯斜械薪薪芯 械褋谢懈 褉械褔褜 懈写褢褌 芯斜 芯褋褍卸写械薪懈懈).
袛褉邪泄蟹械褉 胁械谢懈泻芯谢械锌薪芯 胁褘褋胁械褔懈胁邪械褌 褌邪泻卸械 懈 褌芯, 褔褌芯 写褉褍谐芯泄 邪屑械褉懈泻邪薪械褑, 褍卸械 薪邪褕 褋芯胁褉械屑械薪薪懈泻, 褎懈谢芯褋芯褎 袣械薪 校懈谢斜械褉, 胁 褋胁芯械泄 懈薪褌械谐褉邪谢褜薪芯泄 屑械褌邪褎懈谢芯褋芯褎懈懈 薪邪蟹褘胁邪械褌 胁谢懈褟薪懈械屑 褋懈褋褌械屑薪芯谐芯 (薪懈卸薪械-锌褉邪胁芯谐芯 胁 械谐芯 AQAL-屑芯写械谢懈) 泻胁邪写褉邪薪褌邪: 褝泻芯薪芯屑懈褔械褋泻懈械 褍褋谢芯胁懈褟 斜褘褌邪, 褍褋褌褉芯泄褋褌胁芯 芯斜褖械褋褌胁邪, 胁 泻芯褌芯褉芯屑 械褋褌褜 写械谢械薪懈械 薪邪 泻谢邪褋褋褘 写芯褋褌邪褌泻邪, 懈 泻邪卸写芯屑褍 泻谢邪褋褋褍 写芯褋褌褍锌械薪 芯谐褉邪薪懈褔械薪薪褘泄 褍写械谢 胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯褋褌械泄. 袧械 褌芯谢褜泻芯 袛褉邪泄蟹械褉 芯锌懈褋褘胁邪械褌 胁薪褍褌褉械薪薪懈械 锌械褉械卸懈胁邪薪懈褟, 褔褍胁褋褌胁芯胁邪薪懈褟, 薪褉邪胁褋褌胁械薪薪褘械 褔邪褟薪懈褟 懈 褉邪蟹屑褘褕谢械薪懈褟 褋胁芯懈褏 谐械褉芯械胁 (泻胁邪写褉邪薪褌 懈薪写懈胁懈写褍邪谢褜薪芯谐芯 褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟, 胁械褉褏薪械-锌褉邪胁褘泄), 薪芯 懈 褌芯, 泻邪泻芯械 褎芯褉屑懈褉褍褞褖械械 胁谢懈褟薪懈械 芯泻邪蟹褘胁邪械褌 泻褍谢褜褌褍褉薪芯械 锌芯谢械 褋 械谐芯 屑薪芯谐芯褋谢芯泄薪褘屑懈 薪褉邪胁邪屑懈 懈 芯斜褘褔邪褟屑懈 (泻褍谢褜褌褍褉薪褘泄, 懈谢懈 薪懈卸薪械-谢械胁褘泄, 泻胁邪写褉邪薪褌).
May 2, 2016
C蓹miyy蓹t b眉t枚vl眉kd蓹 insanlar谋 olduqca pis tan谋y谋r. Onun yegan蓹 meyar谋 "ba艧qalar谋 n蓹 dey蓹r"dir. Onun yegan蓹 枚l莽眉s眉 - 枚z眉n眉 m眉hafiz蓹 hissidir. Filank蓹s 枚z varidat谋n谋 m眉hafiz蓹 etmi艧midir? Filan qad谋n 枚z t蓹mizliyini saxlam谋艧m谋d谋r? G枚r眉nd眉y眉 kimi, ancaq, t蓹k-t蓹k nadir adamlar b蓹z蓹n 枚z m眉st蓹qil r蓹yl蓹rini ifad蓹 etm蓹y蓹 qabildirl蓹r
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B眉t眉n varl谋l臒谋 fasil蓹siz sur蓹td蓹 yeni h蓹yat yaratmaqdan ibar蓹t olan d眉nyada , havan谋n, suyun, torpa臒谋n, g眉n蓹艧 i艧谋臒谋n谋n - h蓹r 艧eyin insan do臒ulmas谋na xidm蓹t etdiyi bir d眉nyada bel蓹 bir hissin 蓹m蓹l蓹 g蓹lm蓹si maraql谋d谋r. T蓹k insan deyil, b眉t眉n al蓹m, n蓹sli davam etdirm蓹k hissi il蓹 ya艧ay谋b yaratd谋臒谋 halda, h蓹r 艧eyin d眉nyaya eyni yolla g蓹ldiyin蓹 baxmayaraq, n蓹d蓹ns蓹 buna m蓹nas谋z sur蓹td蓹 g枚z yumma臒a, bundan ikrahla 眉z d枚nd蓹rm蓹y蓹 莽al谋艧谋rlar, sanki t蓹bi蓹tin 枚z眉nd蓹 n蓹 is蓹 nat蓹miz bir 艧ey vard谋r. "Mayam谋z q蓹bah蓹td蓹ndir v蓹 g眉nah i莽ind蓹 do臒ulmu艧uq" - riyakar adam t蓹bi蓹tin qanunlar谋na bel蓹 qeyri-t蓹bii izahat verir v蓹 c蓹miyy蓹t d蓹 h蓹qiq蓹t蓹n eyb蓹c蓹r olan bu m眉hakim蓹 il蓹 dinm蓹z s枚yl蓹m蓹z raz谋la艧谋r.
艦eyl蓹r蓹 bel蓹 bax谋艧, 艧眉bh蓹siz, k枚k眉nd蓹 yanl谋艧d谋r. F蓹ls蓹f蓹nin 枚yr蓹tdiyi h蓹qiq蓹tl蓹r, biologiyan谋n g蓹ldiyi n蓹tic蓹l蓹r insan谋n g眉nd蓹lik t蓹s蓹rr眉fat谋na daha m枚hk蓹m daxil olmal谋d谋r. T蓹bi蓹td蓹 al莽aq prosesl蓹r , qeyri-t蓹bii hallar yoxdur. M眉蓹yy蓹n c蓹miyy蓹tin 蓹saslar谋ndan v蓹 ad蓹tl蓹rind蓹n t蓹sad眉f蓹n k蓹nara 莽谋xmaq he莽 d蓹 s枚ss眉z g眉nah i艧l蓹m蓹k dem蓹k deyildir. 陌nsanlar t蓹r蓹find蓹n m眉蓹yy蓹n edilmi艧 qaydalar谋 t蓹sad眉f蓹n pozan he莽 bir b蓹db蓹xt m蓹xluqu , c蓹miyy蓹t r蓹yinin amans谋zcas谋na onun ad谋na yazd谋臒谋 h蓹dsiz al莽aql谋qda ittiham etm蓹k olmaz
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B眉t眉n varl谋l臒谋 fasil蓹siz sur蓹td蓹 yeni h蓹yat yaratmaqdan ibar蓹t olan d眉nyada , havan谋n, suyun, torpa臒谋n, g眉n蓹艧 i艧谋臒谋n谋n - h蓹r 艧eyin insan do臒ulmas谋na xidm蓹t etdiyi bir d眉nyada bel蓹 bir hissin 蓹m蓹l蓹 g蓹lm蓹si maraql谋d谋r. T蓹k insan deyil, b眉t眉n al蓹m, n蓹sli davam etdirm蓹k hissi il蓹 ya艧ay谋b yaratd谋臒谋 halda, h蓹r 艧eyin d眉nyaya eyni yolla g蓹ldiyin蓹 baxmayaraq, n蓹d蓹ns蓹 buna m蓹nas谋z sur蓹td蓹 g枚z yumma臒a, bundan ikrahla 眉z d枚nd蓹rm蓹y蓹 莽al谋艧谋rlar, sanki t蓹bi蓹tin 枚z眉nd蓹 n蓹 is蓹 nat蓹miz bir 艧ey vard谋r. "Mayam谋z q蓹bah蓹td蓹ndir v蓹 g眉nah i莽ind蓹 do臒ulmu艧uq" - riyakar adam t蓹bi蓹tin qanunlar谋na bel蓹 qeyri-t蓹bii izahat verir v蓹 c蓹miyy蓹t d蓹 h蓹qiq蓹t蓹n eyb蓹c蓹r olan bu m眉hakim蓹 il蓹 dinm蓹z s枚yl蓹m蓹z raz谋la艧谋r.
艦eyl蓹r蓹 bel蓹 bax谋艧, 艧眉bh蓹siz, k枚k眉nd蓹 yanl谋艧d谋r. F蓹ls蓹f蓹nin 枚yr蓹tdiyi h蓹qiq蓹tl蓹r, biologiyan谋n g蓹ldiyi n蓹tic蓹l蓹r insan谋n g眉nd蓹lik t蓹s蓹rr眉fat谋na daha m枚hk蓹m daxil olmal谋d谋r. T蓹bi蓹td蓹 al莽aq prosesl蓹r , qeyri-t蓹bii hallar yoxdur. M眉蓹yy蓹n c蓹miyy蓹tin 蓹saslar谋ndan v蓹 ad蓹tl蓹rind蓹n t蓹sad眉f蓹n k蓹nara 莽谋xmaq he莽 d蓹 s枚ss眉z g眉nah i艧l蓹m蓹k dem蓹k deyildir. 陌nsanlar t蓹r蓹find蓹n m眉蓹yy蓹n edilmi艧 qaydalar谋 t蓹sad眉f蓹n pozan he莽 bir b蓹db蓹xt m蓹xluqu , c蓹miyy蓹t r蓹yinin amans谋zcas谋na onun ad谋na yazd谋臒谋 h蓹dsiz al莽aql谋qda ittiham etm蓹k olmaz
July 2, 2017
This is a masterpiece by one of the greatest American novelists of all time. Dreiser is often derided by other writers for the awkwardness of his prose. This complaint is wildly overblown. It is true that Dreiser's prose style is often plain and occasionally clunky. It is also true that he sometimes interjects with half-baked evolutionary and economic theories as metanarrative. But "bad Faulkner" and "bad Conrad" are no less pompous and distracting than bad Dreiser. Dreiser is capable of some truly beautiful prose passages and writes more authentic dialogue than probably anyone. Furthermore, the sentence fetishists overlook Dreiser's exceptional skill at other fundamentals of fiction writing--such as narrative pacing, characterization, moral and psychological complexity, and world building. When you are first introduced to Jennie Gerhardt, she is a young, first-generation American girl looking for work as a hotel maid alongside her mother. You follow her epic journey as she is seduced by two powerful men. But although she is not exactly in control of her own destiny, her individual qualities are not fully extinguished by the end of the novel. She is as much a survivor as she is a victim--and the men in her life are shown to be deeply scarred by the diminishing spiritual and emotional rewards of material success in the Gilded Age. This is very different than, say, Crane's Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, which is a much simpler and less insightful textbook case of literary naturalism.
September 24, 2020
Mi-a pl膬cut enorm aceast膬 carte at芒t de frumoas膬, profund膬 葯i emo葲ionant膬 鉂わ笍
O poveste de dragoste precum un mozaic, alc膬tuit din 卯mprejur膬ri dictate 葯i influen葲ate de bog膬葲ie 葯i putere, 葯i acea iubire necondi葲ionat膬 dus膬 p芒n膬 la sacrificiu.
"Era atras de bl芒nde葲ea 葯i de feminitatea pe care o emana. Exista 卯n ea ceva care sugera pl膬cerea dragostei."
"S膬 nu min葲i niciodat膬. Niciodat膬 s膬 nu cau葲i s膬 prezin葲i un lucru altfel dec芒t 卯l vezi tu. Adev膬rul, iat膬 principalul 卯n via葲膬, el st膬 la baza valorilor reale."
"C膬ci via葲a ei era 葲esut膬 din acele mistice firi care unesc un suflet de altul prin 卯n葲elegere 葯i amintiri duioase, f膬urind din elementele efemere ale naturii un peisaj armonios 葯i durabil."
Recomand cu mare drag 馃挀
O poveste de dragoste precum un mozaic, alc膬tuit din 卯mprejur膬ri dictate 葯i influen葲ate de bog膬葲ie 葯i putere, 葯i acea iubire necondi葲ionat膬 dus膬 p芒n膬 la sacrificiu.
"Era atras de bl芒nde葲ea 葯i de feminitatea pe care o emana. Exista 卯n ea ceva care sugera pl膬cerea dragostei."
"S膬 nu min葲i niciodat膬. Niciodat膬 s膬 nu cau葲i s膬 prezin葲i un lucru altfel dec芒t 卯l vezi tu. Adev膬rul, iat膬 principalul 卯n via葲膬, el st膬 la baza valorilor reale."
"C膬ci via葲a ei era 葲esut膬 din acele mistice firi care unesc un suflet de altul prin 卯n葲elegere 葯i amintiri duioase, f膬urind din elementele efemere ale naturii un peisaj armonios 葯i durabil."
Recomand cu mare drag 馃挀
May 20, 2013
One of the key elements of the naturalist movement in literature was pessimism. I would say that pessimism just about sums up this book. I can't think when I've been more depressed by a story. I wanted to reach out and slap almost every character in it. I had read both An American Tragedy and Sister Carrie and liked both of those Dreiser books. Maybe I am just worn out with Dreiser's continuing theme of naive pretty poor girls falling for rich men of the upper class who will never 'do right' by them. I'll give it 4 stars anyway, even if I found it grim and fatalistic. After all, I think that was the desired effect.
May 15, 2022
An engaging character based novel about Jennie Gerhardt, a poor young beautiful, caring, mentally strong woman in Columbus, Ohio, who has an illegitimate daughter by an elder senator, then lives with a rich businessman without being married. Jennie inadvertently defies the conventions of class, gender, family and religion. Jennie is a very likeable, loving character who is a victim of poverty and circumstance.
This novel is as good as 鈥楽ister Carrie鈥� and 鈥楢n American Tragedy鈥�. A rewarding and satisfying reading experience.
This book was first published in 1911.
This novel is as good as 鈥楽ister Carrie鈥� and 鈥楢n American Tragedy鈥�. A rewarding and satisfying reading experience.
This book was first published in 1911.
April 23, 2021
I believe that the fact that I read this book so slowly, caused it to become a part of my life, so now I feel a "dull ache" ,as Dreiser would say, parting ways with it. The main lesson I took from this book is that if the opportunity of true love ever seizes you, accept it immediately and never let it go under any circumstances, as in the end no amount of money can fill the void created by the lack of the loved one beside you.
October 14, 2015
Theodore Dreiser - ego proizvedeniya na vse vremena i vsegda actualnu.
Dobrota i lubov prinimautsya ludmi pochti, kak dolzhnoe, no kogda prihoditsya vybirat mezhdu svoim schastiem i etim proklyatym mneniem obshestva, k sozhaleniu vyigryvaet vtoroe. V itoge dlya kogo i dlya chego my prozhivaem zhizn togda...?!
Dobrota i lubov prinimautsya ludmi pochti, kak dolzhnoe, no kogda prihoditsya vybirat mezhdu svoim schastiem i etim proklyatym mneniem obshestva, k sozhaleniu vyigryvaet vtoroe. V itoge dlya kogo i dlya chego my prozhivaem zhizn togda...?!
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