Vandor and Beastliness

Author: Frank Norris (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-03-01
Features: Young San Francisco resident Van Horne is passionate about art, and his father has high expectations for him, sending him to Harvard University. After graduation, his father considers sending him to Paris for further studies. However, he makes poor choices in friendship, frequenting nightclubs and lounges in grand hotels, wasting his days. As a result, he never gets to Paris. After a drunken night, he has sex with his girlfriend, leading to her suicide. His father passes away suddenly, and he reflects deeply but remains spiritually empty. He becomes obsessed with gambling on horse races and poker, losing all the bonds and real estate left by his father, eventually becoming a janitor. This is a naturalist novel written by Norris during his early years at Harvard, exploring how the animalistic side of human nature leads to personal downfall. Norris passed away in 1902, and the book was only published in 1914. It is now included in our company's "Collected Works of Frank Norris."