The Pit: A Story of Chicago(1903), by Frank Norris (Penguin Classics)

The story of Frank Norris's The Pit could be taken from today's headlines: a businessman begins speculating in the commodities market on a small scale until, overcome by greed, addicted to the art of the deal, and harboring an ever-increasing appetite for power, he gambles recklessly in the market while the fortunes of farmers and small investors hang in the balance. At the same time, his independent-minded young wife, bored with domesticity and feeling abused by his neglect of her, risks h...