The Titan

The Titan (1914) is a novel by Theodore Dreiser. The second installment of Dreiser''s Trilogy of Desire, The Financier has endured as a classic of naturalist fiction and remains a powerful example of social critique over a century after its publication. Preceded by The Financier (1914) and followed by The Stoic (1947), The Titan captures the greed at the heart of the Gilded Age, a time when tycoons rose with total impunity to take over swaths of American industry. Based on the life of Charles Yerkes, an influential businessman who funded the development of railway systems in Chicago and London, The Titan is a masterpiece of twentieth century American literature that continues to resonate today. Following his release from prison, Frank Cowperwood exploits the recent Panic of 1873 to purchase stocks at a reduced price, turning a profit and becoming a millionaire once more. Unable to remain in his native Philadelphia, however, he moves t