Frank Norris Livres
Benjamin Franklin Norris, Jr. était un romancier américain écrivant principalement dans le genre naturaliste. Son œuvre lutte avec la notion de l'homme civilisé surmontant sa brute intérieure ou ses tendances animalistiques. Profondément influencé par le darwinisme et ses défenses philosophiques, Norris a développé une forme unique, bien que souvent confuse, de darwinisme social. Son écriture portait également l'influence des premiers criminologues et naturalistes français, explorant le choc entre le progrès sociétal et les instincts primaires.







Colonizing Mars
- 172pages
- 7 heures de lecture
Exploring the future of human colonization on Mars, the book outlines the practicalities of relocating to the Red Planet using SpaceX's reusable Starship rocket. It details the necessary infrastructure and the pioneering lifestyle that awaits settlers, emphasizing the blend of adventure and comfort. The author presents a realistic vision, asserting that within the next two decades, thousands will embark on this unprecedented journey to establish a new life beyond Earth. This narrative combines visionary concepts with tangible plans for space exploration.
Based on an actual, bloody dispute between wheat farmers and the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880, this is the story of the waning days of the frontier West.
McTeague
- 303pages
- 11 heures de lecture
The novelist Frank Norris is almost forgotten today, but in books like McTeague he paved the way for a whole generation of American writers—a generation including Theodore Dreiser, Sinclair Lewis, and, less directly, Hemingway and Fitzgerald. McTeague is a dentist saddled with a grasping wife. The book chronicles his rise and fall in awkward but powerful prose. This type of social realism, so contrary to the uplifting entertainment of the day (and to Mark Twain's more fanciful novels), provided turn-of-the-century America a disturbing mirror in which to view itself.
The Octopus: A Story of California and the Pit: A Story of Chicago
- 632pages
- 23 heures de lecture
Set against the backdrop of corporate greed and betrayal, a group of wheat farmers faces a ruthless railway company that reneges on a promise to sell them land after a decade of labor. As tensions escalate, the farmers find themselves embroiled in a violent struggle for their rights, highlighting themes of power dynamics and the exploitation of the vulnerable. The story unfolds as a gripping confrontation that reveals the darker side of economic ambition and the lengths to which corporations will go to maintain control.
Focusing on the corruption and greed of corporate monopolies, this work by Benjamin Franklin Norris, Jr. resonates with themes relevant to both his time and today. His exploration of societal issues mirrors the impactful narratives of his contemporary, Upton Sinclair, making his writing compelling and thought-provoking over a century later. The book offers a critical examination of the economic landscape of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, showcasing Norris's keen insights into the struggles against corporate power.
The book is a reproduction of a historical work, presented in large print format to enhance accessibility for individuals with impaired vision. Published by Megali, which focuses on making historical texts more readable, this edition aims to preserve the original content while ensuring it is easier to read.
The Library of America - 33: Novels and Essays
Vandover and the Brute / McTeague / The Octopus / Essays
- 1232pages
- 44 heures de lecture
This volume features three novels and a collection of essays by a notable American naturalist writer, who drew inspiration from the “new novel” style of Zola and Flaubert, adapting it to American contexts with a focus on action and emerging sciences like economics and psychology. Born in Chicago in 1870 and later moving to San Francisco, the author studied art in Paris and literature at Berkeley and Harvard. His career included journalism and foreign correspondence, with significant experiences such as being expelled from South Africa and reporting on the Spanish-American War. He published six novels between 1898 and 1902 before his untimely death in 1902. One novel, written in 1895 but published posthumously, explores the downfall of Vandover, a once-promising artist, through themes of debauchery and societal descent. Another, McTeague, presents a stark portrayal of a dentist and his wife, delving into issues of obsession and domestic violence, and served as the basis for the film Greed. The Octopus, part of an unfinished trilogy, depicts the struggles of California ranchers against a railroad monopoly, inspired by historical events. The accompanying essays, spanning 1896–1902, include reviews, literary commentary, and humorous parodies, discussing the state of American fiction and the artist's social responsibilities.
Der Octopus. Roman
- 589pages
- 21 heures de lecture
Román vypráví o marných bojích velkopěstitelů pšenice s kapitálem ještě mocnějším, s železniční společností, která diktuje celému kraji ekonomicky i politicky, co se bude dít. Nejvýznamnější a nejosobitější román amerického spisovatele Norrise (1870 až 1902) zobrazuje podle skutečné události tragický příběh kalifornských farmářů devadesátých let v údolí San Joquin, v době prvního velkého rozmachu amerického kapitálu, jehož důležitým článkem byla výstavba železnic. Společníci železničních trustů zneužívali státních přídělů vysoce úrodných pozemků, podpláceli senátory, soudce a každého, kdo mohl mít vliv na jejich obchody. Po celých Spojených státech se zdvihá vlna odporu a otevřených bojů farmářů proti železničním trustům. Chobotnice - vzniká jako varování před netvorem s tisíci chapadly, jimiž je vysávána krev lidu. Autor však věří v sílu svého lidu, který jednou proti vykořisťovatelům povstane a neodvratně zvítězí.
Der Untergang der Lady Letty
Abenteuerroman










