Customer Reviews

Martin Dressler the Tale of an American

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Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1997, this novel fulfills Pulitzer's requirement that this prize go to a book which studies the social, political, and MORAL conditions of the people. Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer fulfills those requirements well, and gracefully, though it is not a grand novel or one in which the reader will become emotionally involved with the characters and plot.

The novel is a parable, a relatively short narrative with a moral lesson about American dreams and their importance, even when the implementation of these dreams fails. Martin Dressler, living near the turn of the century, is a shopkeeper's son who dreams of becoming a giant of industry. Like many other immigrants, he believes that if you dream high enough and work hard enough, that you will succeed. Unlike many others of his day, however, Martin recognizes the need of an entrepreneur to create and sell new dreams to the public, one of the reasons for his success. Bubbles burst, however, usually because of pride, and Martin is not immune to these changes of fortune.

The narrative pacing is quick, the plot is not complex, and the author's style is simple. The reader never really identifies with Martin or feels that his character develops beyond the few traits which illustrate the message of the book. "Message novels" are notoriously difficult for adults to enjoy, but Millhauser wants us to think about the American dream itself more closely, and he does this through the beautifully written, fast-paced story of success and failure. Mary Whipple

Mary Whipple's review made some interesting points. I agree that the pacing is quick and the plot is not too terribly complex. I also agree that it is a "lesson" novel. However, I do think Millhauser intended the reader to sympathize with Dressler, and I felt he was successful in evoking this. The devise he used to do so was the love triange between Dressler, his wife, and her sister (with the mother popping in from time to time as well). We see different parts of Dressler's self unfold as he interacts with these characters. I identified with the inner conflict Dressler experienced as I read the book and really wanted him discover how to sort it all out. Millhauser was rooting for his character as well, I sense. He wanted him to win - not in the traditional way, but rather, he wanted him to transcend the immaturity of the race-to-the-top mentality. That's my opinion. (It has been about two years since I read the book, however.)