McTeague

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Summary: A powerful portrayal of greed (in spite of its stereotypes)
Review: Along with Stephen Crane, Frank Norris was one of the earliest writers in American naturalism--a tradition that eventually gave us Sinclair Lewis, Theodore Dreiser, and John Steinbeck. Influenced by social Darwinism and the French realists (especially Zola), their style tends to bluntness and away from romanticism and their view of civilization is marked by grimness. "McTeague" is considered Norris's classic work, and for good reason: its effect on later writers is obvious, and the book represents a shocking, bleak expose of greed and of the bestial nature of human beings.

McTeague is an unschooled, middle-class dentist who marries Trina, a daughter of German immigrants who is also the sweetheart of her distant cousin Marcus. Their lives are irrevocably changed when Trina wins $5,000 from a lottery, and their story is an examination of the resulting greed, miserliness, jealousies, intrigues, abuse, and homicide. Norris's worldview is not entirely gloomy, however: he introduces two endearing and unforgettable characters, Old Grannis and Miss Baker, an elderly couple whose only pleasure in the world is the knowledge of each other's existence on the other side of the shared wall of their two apartments. They are the antithesis of greed, and the simplicity of their desires provide much-needed comic (and, yes, romantic) relief.

The 21st-century reader, however, should be warned that Norris's ethnic stereotypes are not pretty. Zerkow, a Polish Jew, is a parsimonious junk peddler who has "bloodless lips" and "claw-like, prehensile fingers--the fingers of a man who accumulates, but never disburses." He dreams incessantly of gold, and is entranced by the long-lost (and undoubtedly imaginary) gold dinnerware described by a Mexican maid, Maria, whom he eventually marries in order to monopolize her memories of the treasure. Maria herself is a dim-witted and unrepentant petty thief, yet her portrayal is more sympathetic in its evocation of naivety and innocence and suffering. Yet it's difficult to overcome the cringe factor created by Norris's depiction of these two characters. (To confirm that I was not overreacting, I searched the Web and found that, unfortunately, these passages are cited or reprinted gleefully and favorably on a number of anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi sites.)

Happily, the remainder of the novel's characters are not so one-dimensional, yet all the main characters turn out to be, in their own way, as narrow-minded and greedy as Zerkow and Maria. There are two ways to see the disparity in the presentation of these characters. Critics tend to point out the Zerkow is presented first, as the archetype of greed--and that the remainder of the novel shows how McTeague, Trina, and Marcus are as greedy as Zerkow--or as "greedy as a Jew." The more charitable analysis reverses the perspective: that Norris mitigates his representation of Zerkow by demonstrating, in effect, that he is no different than anyone else--that all humans are basically brutes (a word Norris uses often).

Norris's novel is above all a stark condemnation of human baseness. The various characters pursue their inescapable and expected demise, and the suddenness and shock of the ending is breathtaking. The power of the novel's underlying message ultimately overwhelms its dated bigotry, and "McTeague" is still a must-read for anyone interested in American literature.

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Summary: McTeague by Frank Norris
Review: Although this book was published 100 years ago, it rivited my attention as no modern author has recently done. The characters are broadly drawn, and are certainly flawed people, however I was able to enter this story completely. I felt the love pangs of the elderly couple, pitied Maria Macapa, and hoped that Trina and Mac would somehow persevere in spite of Marcus' treachery. I have not been able to get their stories out of my head. I saw Eric Von Stroheim's movie "Greed" which translated this book to the silent screen. It's also a marvel!

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Summary: McTeague and his neighbors are America's bottom feeders.
Review: As a high school literature teacher, I have helped hundreds of students experience turn-of-the-century San Francisco and the inhabitants of Polk Street. Mac and his neighbors are examples of what bad genes, bad fortune, and bad liquor--or nowadays, bad drugs--can produce, and only slightly exaggerated caricatures of people my students know. Norris's detatched style and his humor make the kids shake their heads and grin.

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Summary: Hearts of darkness
Review: Bleak and horrible. One of the nastiest trips into the human soul ever submitted to print. Brilliant, but not for those who only like fairy tales with pleasant endings.

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Summary: A good story of how the society corrupt an innocent man.
Review: Frank Norris explained in "Mcteague" how uncontrollable forces are crafting the characters' destinys. For example, Norris explained that Mcteague loved Triana less after Triana first kissed him as a natural rule of human relationship. Other examples are that Mcteague murdered his wife because he let the beast in him dominates, and Triana lived in poverty even though she has five thousand dollar because her strong uncontrollabe desire to save did not let her use the money. "McTeague" holds the readers' interest by having suspense and descriptive language. It is a fun book to read.

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Summary: A vivdly decriptive tragedy displaying naturalism
Review: Frank Norris's McTeague was a wonderfully decriptive novel, displaying the concepts of man vs. nature, man vs. man, and the animalistic intincts that have been inherited through evolution. I thought the overall novel was a literay allusion to great classic tragedys, such as Oedipus and Shakespere's Othello. Naturalism is the main concept of the novel. Through imagery, metaphors, and simlies, Norris displays the role of man in relation to nature. In Mcteague, the author seems to interpret all the evil with in man as a result of the animalistic intincts that have been inherted by evolution. In the early chapters, you find the "animal" in Mcteague is too strong for him to resist. "It was the battle, old as the world, wide as the world, the sudden panther leap of the animal, lips drawn, fangs aflash, hideous monstrous, not to be resisted...the better self that cries, that grips the monster; that fighhts to strangle it, to thrust ir down and back," (McTeague, page 21). Fate is also and issue in this novel. Norris portays the realtionship of Mcteague and Trina as "mates by chance," similar to those of animals. They were destined mates, a relationship that could not have been avoided even if they wanted to for it was fated that they be together. To me, fate and nature seem to be one in the same in this novel. They are the key factors, for all the crucial events that affect the lives of the characters. After reading this book, I could feel the clashing of creation vs. evolution. It was the typical tale of the tragic hero who starts off well and ends up at the bottom. The ending was spectacular. The reader is shown the concepts of man vs. nature and natural selection. I enjoyed the book becuase it had suspense, obsession, and tragedy.

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Summary: my favorite novel
Review: i came across mcteague by accident. through silent film study as a matter of fact. when i saw GREED the eric von stroheim masterpiece based on the novel i went and bought it instantly. since then i have read mcteacue 4 times and each time getting a bit more out of it. the world is full of constant tragedy that a lot of people dont want to hear so many will find this novel tasteless. it is the structure of the writing and the habit of routine that sticks out in my mind in mcteague. it is a tragic story like the writings of THEODORE DREISSER ,EDITH WHARTON , SINCLAIR LEWIS and specifically EMILE ZOLA whom norris idolized and copied. the tale is a strange one of how people lost in theire daily little routines and what can happen to them when those routines are suddenly interupted. it is grim and fascinating at the same time and when i see the endless police television shows of spouses murdering each other on a daily basis i am reminded of how "true" to life mcteague is. read it slowly and study the structure of norris phrases . the book was first made in to a film in 1919 i beleive in fort lee new jersey and it was titled LIFES WHIRPOOL. it is probably here where eric von stroheim first saw the film and then read the novel before he made his version of it in 1924. too bad that frank norris died unexpectedly who knows what was still in him as time went on??

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Summary: Utterly hypnotic and fascinating
Review: I could not put this book down. This novel is written with an almost photographic realism on every page. I found it so involving that it seemed as if the author had conjured up an alternate reality which made perfect sense and was absolutely convincing in every detail. I am rarely taken in by novels. Their technique is usually too artificial for me to become involved in the lives of their one dimensional or totally self involved characters, and far fetched plots. Be forewarned that McTeague is not light entertainment but a hair raising experience, and reading it is akin to watching a terrible traffic accident take place in slow motion. I found it immensely engaging, admired its art, and thought that the basic truth it told about life was right on target. A great read and a minor work of art. If you enjoy the book, do not miss the 1925 von Stroheim movie (on video) "Greed" which is closely based on this book.

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Summary: Thinking about this book sends a chill down my spine!
Review: I had to read this book for one of English classes in high school. I like most literature, but I have to say that I think Mcteague is a very, insignificantly strange, messed up piece of literature. That's all I wanted to say.

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Summary: Frank Norris needed a better editor
Review: I have just finished up this book in my senior AP lit class. Reading it was excruciating. The first bit of the book moves very slowly (well, I admit, the scene where McTeague asks Trina to marry him did crack me up, though I'm not entirely sure that that was what was intended) and the second half is even worse because by then I hated every single character in the book. Yes, I'm aware they're SUPPOSED to be over the top, but I feel that Norris could have gotten his point across much better if he had been more subtle. I don't really enjoy being beaten over the head with imagery. Homer Simpson could have understood this novel fully with ease.
Another thing: Frank Norris is not that good of a writer. So much stuff his narrator said was entirely unnecessary. Laughably
unnecessary. It's honestly just like, god, we get it already! Shut up!
But then, naturalism isn't really my cup of tea. I find it melodramtic (a soap opera, if you will) and extremely depressing. I don't like Social Darwinism, either, which is basically one of the messages Norris is trying sell. Also, he's a pretty racist S.O.B.
Lastly, why does he spell Owgooste out phonetically sometimes in the narration, and then spell it August other times? ?? Yeesh.