My boyfriend found this book in a youth hostel shop in Sweden. Being the only book in English he decided to get it. Alone in the Swedish wilderness for 1 month he finished the book in 1 week and later passed it on to me to read. After his strong recommendations and me also having no other book in English to read, I read it.
This is a difficult review for me to write because I am not quite sure how I feel about the book. One minute I am agree with one of the characters and the next I am criticising them and seeing their selfishness. Ole and I had a “heated discussion” about our conflicting interpretations.
Sister Carrie hops on a train to Chicago to stay with her sister. Leaving a small town with big dreams she hopes to make her own way in the huge city and live like she always dreamed. On the train she meets a young man that will unknowingly send her life off her dreamed path, sending her life out of control and ultimately to her destiny. That’s the basic storyline however it is filled with unusual events and unpredicatble characters that left me feeling unsettled. One minute I liked Carrie and thought her sweet, innocent and very naive. Then the character of Hurstwood enters the scene and with him my opinons of Carrie take a more negative turn. In the end, in my opinion I found her to be a little cold hearted, selfish and not very likeable. Others I am sure will disagree.
Set in the late 19th Centuary this story provides and interesting snapshot of life back then. The begining of Chicago and its rise to a major city of the West. Also the glittering glamour of New York. It also shows the struggles of poverty hidden amongst the boom and the human side behind it. This book is considered an American classic and although I am unsure as to my feelings with this story I can understand its significance in American literature. A good read that definitely makes you think right until the end and far long after you have reached it.
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November 7, 2008 at 2:02 PM
readersguide
I read this book in American Lit class when I was in high school, and I hated it all the way through until I got to the end and realized that I loved it. I think it’s a hard book to read, and possibly written not even all that well written (this is my memory from 30 year ago) but the story is so powerful that it’s worth the reading. Yes.
November 8, 2008 at 12:36 AM
thepocket
I was reading an article about ‘Sister Carrie’ and when first published people were very unhappy with the ending. They didn’t like that Carrie seems to trample everyone around her, get what she wanted and was in no way punished for her behaviour. They wanted a ‘just desserts’ ending. I somewhat agree with this. I thought it was unfair that she received no punishment while almost everyone (especially Hurstwood) was crushed in some way or used.
November 9, 2008 at 3:50 AM
Ole
I actually enjoyed the book a lot. It was a bit slow to start with but once the story evolved I found the relationships and the motivations quite interesting to follow. Carrie is clearly too young and overwhelmed to cope with everything. If she would have found “real” love she might not even have become so obsessed with her acting career and all the other material aspects of life. But since she did not find real love her focus shifted towards the other nice things in life… and again, being young and naive (but not dumb) she did the best she could. Who can blame her. I feel terribly sorry for Hurstwood though. From top of the world to rock bottom. I can imagine that would break many men.
February 27, 2009 at 6:37 AM
‘Vanity Fair’ by William Makepeace Thackeray « A Garden in the Pocket
[...] book reminded me a little of Sister Carrie in the fact that in both books the heroine or female lead is someone that is not particularly nice [...]