The Titan

By: Theodore Dreiser

Narrated by: Stuart Langton

Length: 19 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

The Titan is the second volume in what the author called his "trilogy of desire," featuring the character of Frank Cowperwood, a powerful, irresistibly compelling man driven by his own need for power, beautiful women, and social prestige.

Having married his former mistress, Aileen Butler, and moved to Chicago, Cowperwood almost succeeds in his dream of establishing a monopoly of all public utilities. Dissatisfaction with Aileen leads him, however, to a series of affairs with other women. When the Chicago citizenry frustrates his financial schemes, he departs for Europe with Berenice Fleming, the lovely daughter of the madam of a Louisville brothel.

At last, Cowperwood experiences "the pathos of the discovery that even giants are but pygmies, and that an ultimate balance must be struck".

Public Domain (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Cowperwood rides again!

This second novel in Dreiser's series again gives us a panoramic view of the most cold-eyed, ruthless, Machiavellian American business character one could ever meet. At one point I was listening to an extended passage about Cowperwood's devious love life (as much a love life as a pure, inspired sociopath can have) and rolling my eyes, thinking, is this a novel that does not seem to know what it is really about? Has this book lost its way and mistaken itself for a romantic melodrama? But then, Cowperwood in a seemingly impossible situation for his life and reputation, having deeply betrayed every trusting person in sight to the point they are literally coming to blows at each other in fits of mad emotion, and all making ready for hospital clinics or insane asylums, and without a hair on his head disarranged, turns to his principal accuser and makes such a cool, crystalline, inspired combined cash settlement offer-threat, he quells the whole problem (as far as he cares) in a couple minutes. A man moments before mortally threatening him, and ready set upon him like a wild animal, if not bring squads of lawyers and reporters to destroy Cowperwood, slinks away with his tail between his legs. Theodore Dreiser, you devil! I haven't yet read the bio of C.T. Yerkes (this book is said to be based on), but if that was Yerkes, what a striking American character this was (from a safe distance). This is a character distilling everything, no exceptions, to the most beguiling and ruthless business chess. Maybe I like it because my friends sometimes say this of me (before I dismiss them, crisply and serially).
Oh, and the business dealings are described as crystalline and clearly as one could wish for.

Opposite of Atlas Shrugged

This is the second book in a three book series (The Trilogy of Desire). The third book (The Stoic) is not in Audible format at the time of this review. This book is better the the first book (The Financier) but not as good as Dreiser's American Tragedy,

This book follows a business man in late 1800's America as the apparent protagonist. We watch him wheal and deal, cheat and lie, and betray everyone around him, including his family and wives, as he becomes wealthy and powerful. The author in this series, as he did in American Tragedy, uncovers the dark underbelly of American capitalism. I certainly wonder if Rand's Atlas Shrugged was a direct response to Dreiser's earlier works.

Written in 1914 this novel seems essentially modern. Although quite long, and a bit tediously detailed, I enjoyed the prose and the schemes of the apparent protagonist, while the hidden, true protagonist is the unpolluted American dream. The true protagonist is shown only in glimpses of the few honest characters.

The narration is quite good.

Not for the faint of heart, but addicting!

The Titan is the second in the trilogy which starts with the Pulitzer Prize winning, The Financier. Based on the true life of Charles Yerkes, this is a comprehensive story of a brilliant but corrupt man who profoundly changed the infrastructure of Philadelphia, Chicago, and London. While I do not understand all the aspects of the bond market, I couldn’t put this down. My only regret is that the third volume, The Stoic, does not appear to have been recorded. Highly recommend to anyone interested in this volume, should read/listen to The Financier first. Beware of late 19th c florid prose and lots of banking detail, but frankly I found it part of its charm. I learned a lot.

BORING BOOK

What disappointed you about The Titan?

TOO MUCH TIME SPENT ON TALKING ABOUT BUSINESS DEALS.

What could Theodore Dreiser have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

SPENT MOST OF THE BOOK TALKING ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

THE NARATOR WAS NOT BAD. BUT HE WAS NOT GOOD EITHER. HE ADDED NO EMOTION TO THE STORY.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Titan?

MOST OF THE BUSINESS DEAL SCENES. THEY BORED ME.

Any additional comments?

I HAVE READ TWO OTHER BOOKS BY DREISER. THEY WERE VERY GOOD. THIS ONE WAS A DISAPPOINTMENT. I WON'T WASTE MONEY ON THE FINANCIER AS I BET IT WILL BE SIMILAR TO TITAN IN DISCUSSING BUSINESS DEALS.