American Tragedy (a set of 2 books)

How attractive is the world of wealth, luxury, and entertainment! But Clyde Griffiths was unfortunate to be born into a family of poor street preachers. From a young age, he dreams of being among the happy, successful people and having... their opportunities. Clyde realized early on: nothing will help him unless he can help himself. Aspiring to take a prominent position in society, he starts a romance with 17-year-old Sondra Finchley, a wealthy heiress of a manufacturer. However, he is burdened by his love affair with simple factory worker Roberta Alden. The girl is pregnant and hinders him from achieving his cherished goal - to build a career and attain a beautiful life. In a desperate pursuit of success, Clyde is willing to commit a crime... "American Tragedy" is the pinnacle of Theodore Dreiser's work. An unparalleled depiction of harsh reality and the dark side of the American dream, exceptional in power and scale, has left several generations of readers indifferent.