Comments on: How Rome Fell http://www.frumforum.com/how-rome-fell Building a conservatism that can win again Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:50:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: ottovbvs http://www.frumforum.com/how-rome-fell/comment-page-1#comment-58234 ottovbvs Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:52:13 +0000 #comment-58234 theCardinal // Jul 28, 2009 at 3:00 pm ..........Despite the rather ornamental prose they are both excellent books as are Sister Carrie and An American Tragedy........I first read the Financier when I was about 15 and have re-read several times since. Ditto The Titan. I'm currently ploughing through a re-read of Edith Wharton (Undine Spragg in The Custom of the Country is quite something) but when I've finished it will be time to revisit the exploits of Frank Algernon Cowperwood. theCardinal // Jul 28, 2009 at 3:00 pm

……….Despite the rather ornamental prose they are both excellent books as are Sister Carrie and An American Tragedy……..I first read the Financier when I was about 15 and have re-read several times since. Ditto The Titan. I’m currently ploughing through a re-read of Edith Wharton (Undine Spragg in The Custom of the Country is quite something) but when I’ve finished it will be time to revisit the exploits of Frank Algernon Cowperwood.

]]> By: theCardinal http://www.frumforum.com/how-rome-fell/comment-page-1#comment-57448 theCardinal Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:00:17 +0000 #comment-57448 This is honestly the last thing I wanted to read - a positive and enticing review of "The Titan." I went through a Mencken phase in college and when I was given the opportunity to select a book to read for American Lit class I chose "The Financier." I had never read Dreiser but wanted a less obvious Despite the writing, the painstaking detail of business transactions and the length - I loved the book. I immediately began a quest to find "The Titan." Your review is going to make me order the darned book and even worse, I'm going to read "The Financier" to refresh my memory. This is honestly the last thing I wanted to read – a positive and enticing review of “The Titan.” I went through a Mencken phase in college and when I was given the opportunity to select a book to read for American Lit class I chose “The Financier.” I had never read Dreiser but wanted a less obvious Despite the writing, the painstaking detail of business transactions and the length – I loved the book. I immediately began a quest to find “The Titan.” Your review is going to make me order the darned book and even worse, I’m going to read “The Financier” to refresh my memory.

]]> By: ottovbvs http://www.frumforum.com/how-rome-fell/comment-page-1#comment-57168 ottovbvs Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:14:55 +0000 #comment-57168 ...........Why am I the only person who ever comments on your book choices David?....... they are invariably good, one of the things we agree totally about........don't these people read books......don't answer that question.......and do you agree with me that Rand's novels are some of the most tedious ever written.......she's up there with G. K. Chesterton ………..Why am I the only person who ever comments on your book choices David?……. they are invariably good, one of the things we agree totally about……..don’t these people read books……don’t answer that question…….and do you agree with me that Rand’s novels are some of the most tedious ever written…….she’s up there with G. K. Chesterton

]]> By: ottovbvs http://www.frumforum.com/how-rome-fell/comment-page-1#comment-56589 ottovbvs Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:07:25 +0000 #comment-56589 I commented on the earlier review of The Financier but it seems to have got lost in the ether. This book is one of three (The Financier, The Titan and The Stoic) which are what Dreiser called his Trilogy of Desire. The first two books are in my opinion the best portrait of business that you are going to find anywhere in an American novel. The third book is rather tedious and completely loses its narrative drive probably because Cowperwood dies about a third of the way into the novel. Cowperwood is loosely based on the Chicago street railway tycoon Charles Tyson Jerkes who flourished in the late 19th century and with whom Dreiser would be very familiar from his career as a journalist in the city. Dreiser's style, as David's extract illustrates, is a bit ornamental and you need to capture the meter but once you do these books are a pleasure to read. Filled with sex, drama, incident, and an incredible cast of characters. These start with Cowperwood himself who is basically a monstrous ogre of consumption, and include Cowperwood's numerous mistresses who very sexy, his colorful business associates who are mainly corrupt, and his adversaries who are just as corrupt as Cowperwood but claim a mantle of purity to disguise the fact that what they really unhappy about is him grabbing the spoils. From these books you'll learn how to bribe judges and politicians, short or corner stocks, circumvent city ordinances, and all sorts of other stuff useful to the aspiring capitalist. Both books can be read independantly but it makes sense to start with The Financier. You will want to move on to The Titan to see what happens next. I commented on the earlier review of The Financier but it seems to have got lost in the ether. This book is one of three (The Financier, The Titan and The Stoic) which are what Dreiser called his Trilogy of Desire. The first two books are in my opinion the best portrait of business that you are going to find anywhere in an American novel. The third book is rather tedious and completely loses its narrative drive probably because Cowperwood dies about a third of the way into the novel. Cowperwood is loosely based on the Chicago street railway tycoon Charles Tyson Jerkes who flourished in the late 19th century and with whom Dreiser would be very familiar from his career as a journalist in the city. Dreiser’s style, as David’s extract illustrates, is a bit ornamental and you need to capture the meter but once you do these books are a pleasure to read. Filled with sex, drama, incident, and an incredible cast of characters. These start with Cowperwood himself who is basically a monstrous ogre of consumption, and include Cowperwood’s numerous mistresses who very sexy, his colorful business associates who are mainly corrupt, and his adversaries who are just as corrupt as Cowperwood but claim a mantle of purity to disguise the fact that what they really unhappy about is him grabbing the spoils. From these books you’ll learn how to bribe judges and politicians, short or corner stocks, circumvent city ordinances, and all sorts of other stuff useful to the aspiring capitalist.
Both books can be read independantly but it makes sense to start with The Financier. You will want to move on to The Titan to see what happens next.

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