The Titan

The Titan (1914) is a novel by Theodore Dreiser. The second installment of Dreiser’s Trilogy of Desire, The Financier has endured as a classic of naturalist fiction and remains a powerful example of social critique over a century after its publication. Preceded by The Financier (1914) and followed by The Stoic (1947), The Titan captures the greed at the heart of the Gilded Age, a time when tycoons rose with total impunity to take over swaths of American industry. Based on the life of Charles Yerkes, an influential businessman who funded the development of railway systems in Chicago and London, The Titan is a masterpiece of twentieth century American literature that continues to resonate today. Following his release from prison, Frank Cowperwood exploits the recent Panic of 1873 to purchase stocks at a reduced price, turning a profit and becoming a millionaire once more. Unable to remain in his native Philadelphia, however, he moves to Chicago with his young lover, secures a divorce with his estranged wife, and sets his sights on a failing street-railway system. Elbowing competitors out of the way, Cowperwood takes control of Chicago’s burgeoning transit system and reaches new heights as a man of means. When news of his past becomes known to the local elite, he becomes a pariah at social gatherings. Slowly but surely, his grip on the city of Chicago begins to loosen, as does the strength of his marriage. Wracked by doubt, brought down by his lustful ways, Cowperwood begins to question the trajectory of his ambitious life. The Titan is a story of romance, greed, and betrayal that says as much about a single man as it does about the values of an entire society. This edition of Theodore Dreiser’s The Titan is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

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