Thoughts on McTeague

[PabloQ]

I'm about half way through reading McTeague. I'm on the fence on whether I like it or not, but plan to read it completely to the end. I'm looking for folks in Network who have read this novel and get your general impressions without spoiling the end too drastically.
My interest is piqued that no one has had anything to say about any of Frank Norris's work and yet he is regarded as one of the early writers of naturalist American fiction. So I'll take anything in terms of a dialog on the topics of McTeague, Frank Norris, The Octopus (which I've read), or American naturalism in the early 20th century.
Look forward to hearing from you.

[Emil Miller]

Regarding American naturalist literature, Frank Norris and Theodore Dreiser are two writers who immediately spring to mind. McTeague is a terrific novel by any standards; as is Sister Carrie.
I have read McTeague three times over the years and will probably read it again. It is interesting to note that Frank Norris decided to become a writer when he came into contact with French naturalist writing whilst studying painting in Paris. The influence of Emil Zola in Norris's writing is striking and it is a great pity that Norris died too young to have further contributed to American literature.
Incidentally, I noticed that you don't appear to have mentioned Zola in your many comments on writers. If you haven't tried him, may I suggest Therese Raquin and L'assommoir for starters. If you like Frank Norris I think you will enjoy Zola; although literature is such a subjective thing that I could be proved wrong. It may be sacrilegious to say so but, to my mind, D.H.Lawrence and Thomas Hardy are only for insomniacs.

[snakesandapples]

If you're to read Zola, I started with Therese Raquin, but it seems to me that if you "could" sum up ("could"... A big deal indeed...) Zola's way to write, Germinal would be a wiser choice. As for me, I take Therese Raquin much more like a fiction based on the relationship between two characters (though it's still naturalism). Whereas Germinal is focused on a whole family, a whole group and all the tension you could get in MacTeague is applicated to a broader field.
Anyway, if you're really into naturalism, doubtlessly Zola's work are going to fit your tastes. :p