Jennie Gerhardt [NOOK Book]

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Overview

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 ...
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Jennie Gerhardt

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Overview

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.
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Editorial Reviews

Booknews
Dreiser's second novel as published by Harper and Brothers in 1911 was substantially cut and edited to modify its subject matter and moral stance, changing it from a blunt work of social realism to a love story merely set against a social background. Editor West has restored the guts to the work in this unexpurgated version. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
From the Publisher

"The best American novel I have ever read, with the lonesome but Himalayan exception of Huckleberry Finn."—H. L. Mencken

"For Dreiser, Jennie Gerhardt was a good career move. Now, with this Pennsylvania edition, we know that it is also a great novel."—New York Times

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781607785750
  • Publisher: MobileReference
  • Publication date: 1/1/2010
  • Series: Mobi Classics
  • Sold by: Barnes & Noble
  • Format: eBook
  • Sales rank: 602,432
  • File size: 406 KB

Meet the Author

Theodore Dreiser was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, on August 27, 1871. After a poor and difficult childhood, Dreiser broke into newspaper work in Chicago in 1892. A successful career as a magazine writer in New York during the late 1890s was followed by his first novel, Sister Carrie (1900). When this work made little impact, Dreiser published no fiction until Jennie Gerhardt in 1911. There then followed a decade and a half of major work in a number of literary forms, which was capped in 1925 by An American Tragedy, a novel that brought him universal acclaim. Dreiser was increasingly preoccupied by philosophical and political issues during the last two decades of his life. He died in Los Angeles on December 28, 1945.

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Table of Contents

Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Jennie Gerhardt 1
Historical Commentary 419
The Composition and Publication of Jennie Gerhardt 421
Map 461
Illustrations 462
Historical Notes 471
Textual Commentary 483
Editorial Principles 485
Cruxes 490
Subsequent Textual History 494
The Two Editions 495
Textual Apparatus 497
Textual Tables 499
1 Readings Adopted from the 1911 Edition 499
2 Editorial Emendations 538
Textual Notes 557
3 First Printing ] Barrett Carbon TS 559
Lester Kane's Deathbed Scene: Alternate Version 573
Coda to the 1911 Text 574
Word Division 576
Pedigree of Editions 578
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Customer Reviews

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Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 27, 2008

    Excellent read for all

    This is a classic work of art by a master. Contemporary novels cannot hold a match to this. The characters jump out at you. The reader can't help but empathize with Jennie, her mother, father and Lester. It is true life. Don't miss it!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 14, 2002

    A Book About the Life of a Woman's Hard Luck

    This is a wonderful book about the hardships of life and what social standings mean to a high class family. Read this book and you will know what I mean by a fabulous book!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews
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