This January, a few of us are committing to reading Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser.
The hashtag will be #CarrieAlong for those who like to discuss books on Twitter. (That would be me.)
This classic would count for the following challenges (and likely a few more! feel free to add such in the comments)
The What’s in a Name 8 
for the FAMILIAL RELATION category. (Click on the button to learn more.)
The Back to the Classics Challenge 
for any of these categories:
- 20th Century – Sister Carrie was published in 1900.
- Very Long – Sister Carrie is over 500 pages.
- Person’s Name in the Title
This would count for the Victorian Reading Challenge 
(again, the button will link to more details.)
Other interesting facts to entice you…
Sister Carrie is on the 1001+ Books to Read Before You Die.
If you don’t recognize the author, perhaps you know of his most famous book, An American Tragedy? (I have not read this, fyi.)
Mr. Dreiser has been noted for having pioneered ““, according to Wikipedia. I couldn’t tell you what the naturalist school is, so this should be a FUN learning experience.
Probably would count as a BANNED BOOK though it isn’t the right month for that reading challenge. Dreiser was communist! (gasp.)
and, YES! There has been a movie based on this work of fiction! The studio called it Carrie because otherwise people might think the story was about a nun. (It’s not, in case you were wondering.)
Laurence Olivier and Jennifer Jones! 
<— links to IMDB.com. Nominated for Academy Awards* of Best Costume and Art Direction…
I am curious if Stephen King was aware of Sister Carrie; wondering if we can find any allusions or related themes or ??? — or not.
The cover of the edition I own is NOT in goodreads and I am taking a poll whether or not I should add 
since I have the power of being a goodreads editor. What do you think? (Bantam Classic Feb 1982, EL Doctorow Introduction)
Quote on the back cover:
When a girl leaves home at eighteen, she does one of two things.
Either she falls into saving hands and becomes better,
or she rapidly assumes the cosmopolitan standard of virtue and becomes worse.”
Ha, guess which kind of tale THIS is going to be!
Join us?
RULES and REGULATIONS: none, other than start or finish it in January of 2015 and discuss here or at any of the joiner-in-ers’ blogs. I won’t even do a linky-thing. Just leave a comment. I’ll post on the very last day of January so you can check in here or then. Thanks!
* 1953 Academy Awards for Art Direction AND Best Costumes went to The Bad and the Beautiful.
Care's Books and Pie 
An American Tragedy was one of my favorite books of 2014 (read it courtesy of the Classics Club spin), so I can’t wait to read with Sister Carrie. The ebook is on my kindle and I just downloaded the audio version read by C.M. Hebert. Will get started later this week!
I am so excited – the response is amazing!
Silly CarePie–that’s because YOU are amazing!!! 🙂 #readalongBFF
So, so tempting! Perhaps I can squeeze it in via audio…
How fun! Hope so.
Ohhhh this is so tempting, it’s been on my to-read list forever, but I JUST started TWO books that are 800 pages long (I know, I’m an idiot. One is an audio that’s 35 hours!!). Well, I’ll read all your comments and maybe it will inspire me to give up Dickens and read Dreiser instead.
And I have read An American Tragedy. I liked the first two-thirds but the ending just went on and on.
And I almost forgot, thanks for the shout-out for my Back to the Classics Challenge!
YAY!
This is great, I’m definitely going to join – it’s on my Classics Club List and Victorian Challenge (in which you read a novel for every year of Queen Victoria’s reign) Thanks for hosting this 🙂
Thank you! I’ll update my post.
Sister Carrie was on my bookshelf. Time to pick it up and join the read along.
Lovely! Do you tweet?
I should resist but can’t – look forward to participating.
Grand!
In!! Though I might break your only rule and regulation of finishing this month. I won’t be doing the audio (only have ONE credit and what if I NEED it for something else????), but I do have the ebook and will start soon! Yay!
And glad I wasn’t the only one who thought about King. Though I have’t read Carrie yet. Should I?
So cool.
No, don’t read the other Carrie. 😀
It wasn’ that bad! And if you’ve already read On Writing, it is a must.
Sigh. I was going to read a classic sometime this winter, but I wanted it to be one that’s already on my shelf. This is NOT on my shelf. But then you had to go and mention that Dreiser was a communist, and now I’m tempted. (I know, I’m tempted by strange things.)
Go read his Wiki bio. I could have said more unflattering things to say about him.
JOIN JOIN JOIN!!!!!
He was an incestuous bigamist?!?
Something like that. Deal-killer?
I’ve checked the book out from the library. Haven’t got any farther than that, though.
Count me in! This book looks like an interesting read. Looking forward to participating!
Count me in! Looking forward to participating!
(Silly spam catcher…) YOU’re IN!
I have this one on my shelf but there is just no way I’ll be able to get it done this month 😦 I look forward to seeing what you think though.
Only requirement is you START in January. 🙂
I’m here, I’m here!!!
Like.