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 her marriage by contemplating an ...
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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 her marriage by contemplating an affair with a former suitor. By interweaving the conventions of the business plot and the romance plot in this manner, Frank Norris broke with the traditions of his time and brought a fresh perspective to the American novel.
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Add this copy of The Pit: A Story of Chicago to cart. $11.38, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2017 by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.
Add this copy of The Pit: a Story of Chicago to cart. $35.57, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by CreateSpace Independent Publis.
I enjoy Wall Street-type stories, and this is one of the older ones I've encountered. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish reading it, due to its bigoted references to Jews. Scenes about the Chicago markets include a few Jewish characters as secondary characters, for color, but invariably in negative terms -- greasy, unkempt, conniving, etc. It may be a reflection of popular attitudes of the (very pre-Gentleman's Agreement) day.
