Martin Dressler by Steven Millhauser

Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer by Steven Millhauser

I was excited to read this book, I a huge fan of Millhauser's short stories and novellas and while I enjoyed this book it didn't love it as much as I'd hoped. The story is about a son of a cigar shop owner who by hard work and big dreams ends up building hotels in New York at the turn of the 20th century. There were 2 main parts of the plot, Martin's assent into building bigger and more elaborate things and then a love triangle between him, his wife who is silent and distant and her homely sister who he respects and makes his business partner. The first aspect of Martin's building had a ton to do with New York at the turn of the century and America's crazy industrial growth during that time. The way it was written about was fantastic as the descriptions and content made you feel like you were there. The other part with the love triangle was interesting but not captivating. Another thing I really liked is that Martin Dressler himself was kind of a jerk, bringing an extra dimension to make him seem more real and less of a character. I guess the reason I didn't love it is the end just kid of faded out, there was a definite climax but it wasn't particularly engrossing to me. That said it was extremely well written and a must for anyone who's interested in New York City in that time period.