This story had me from the first page. Somehow, the introduction of a clumsy, not-so-bright dentist in a San Francisco setting spelled magic. And the story was indeed, magical.
McTeague lived in a flat and ran a dentistry business in a small shop on Polk Street. It is here where he met his future wife, Trina. The detail that Norris uses to describe McTeague's feelings, the struggles between his will and his desires, stirred within me a kind of familiarity. The author used this technique throughout the book, and I was moved by every character as a result. McTeague's wife, Trina, had a propensity to greed, and though considered a negative characteristic, it is what stirred within me a kind of pity. I hoped that she would change, for the sake of both she and her new husband. They seemed so cute, in a way, and it was the unwillingness to deal with certain character flaws that eventually led them to their undoing.
Generally, I don't care for sudden setting shifts in a book. Personally, they confuse me--tend to annoy me, really. In this book, there is one very clear setting shift that occurs toward the end, but Norris effectively maintained my interest in the plot. It was, though dramatic, quite believable, and eventually the author brings the story to a thought-provoking close in this new setting.
The book was written in 1899, so the language is a bit different than today's. It was refreshing. Though most of Norris's characters were anything but upper-classed, even their conversations exuded a kind of intelligence that is absent in the average modern English conversation. Reading this kind of novel not only entertains the reader but educates them in conversation, as well.
I loved this book. I rarely use the statement, "I couldn't put it down," but it was true for me in this case. This book is a magical gem.
9.5/10
Enjoy San Francisco through the reading,
Steve
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