Theodore Dreiser

The Financier illustrated Theodore Dreiser

A master of literary naturalism, Dreiser is known for his great intensity and keen journalistic eye as he examines real-life subjects. This powerful novel explores the dynamics of the financial world during the Civil War and after the stock-market panic caused by the Great Chicago Fire. The first in a ''trilogy of desire, '' The Financier tells the story of the ruthlessly dominating broker Frank Cowper wood as he climbs the ladder of success, his adoring mistress championing his every move.