The "Genius"

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dreiser, Theodore, 1871-1945

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The 'Genius'" by Theodore Dreiser is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story follows Eugene Witla, a young man from the small town of Alexandria, Illinois, who is caught between his artistic aspirations and the practical expectations of life. As Eugene navigates the complexities of family dynamics, societal pressures, and his desires, the novel explores themes of ambition, love, and the pursuit of identity. The opening of the book introduces Eugene, his family, and the environment in which he grows up. The setting is established as a small American town during the late 19th century, highlighting the mundane yet comforting aspects of his childhood home. As we delve into Eugene's character, we learn about his sensitive and artistic nature, contrasting with the expectations placed on him by his father to succeed in the family business. The narrative outlines the dynamics of Eugene's relationships with his parents and sisters, and his longing for something greater than what his small town can provide. Through his interactions, particularly with girls like Stella Appleton, who captures his youthful affections, we see his struggles with self-identity and the melancholy that accompanies his artistic ambitions. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Jim Adcock and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

Notes:

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_%22Genius%22_(novel)

Reading ease score: 82.0 (6th grade). Easy to read.

Release date is 2010-03-30