Sister Carrie
by Dreiser, Theodore
Journalist-turned-author Theodore Dreiser’s novel Sister Carrie, which some consider to be the “greatest of all American urban novels,” is the quintessential country-mouse-in-the-city story, only more… risqué. The novel tells the story of Caroline “Sister Carrie” Meeber, a young girl from rural Wisconsin who moves to Chicago with hopes of becoming a star. Carrie first stays with her older sister and her husband, but she soon becomes involved with a married man and a series of other morally questionable decisions follow. While Carrie may sound obviously blinded by her dreams of a glamorous future — and some may argue that’s because she is — Dreiser chose to present her character and others with a focus on human instinct as opposed to judgment, making it an early work of the naturalist movement.
As one might expect, Dreiser had a difficult time finding and securing a publisher for Sister Carrie. After the manuscript had already been rejected twice, Doubleday, Page’s Frank Norris, author of the naturalistic novel McTeague, offered Dreiser a contract for the publication. This resulted in some upset within the publishing house — primarily due to book’s “lack of morality” — and Doubleday, Page tried to back out of the deal. Dreiser demanded that the contract be fulfilled and Doubleday published 1,008 copies in November 1900. However, the novel was perhaps not as thoroughly publicized as it could have been. Just 465 copies actually sold (not including the 129 that were sent out for reviews). The remaining 423 copies were later turned over to a remainder house.
Unsurprisingly, Sister Carrie received negative response shortly after publication. Beyond the novel’s general sexual content and overall pessimistic tone, critics of the time took issue with the idea of Carrie engaging in illicit sexual relationships without suffering any consequences. Also unsurprisingly, Sister Carrie is another example of a masterpiece that could only be appreciated with time. In his 1930 Nobel Prize lecture, Sinclair Lewis compared the impact of Dreiser’s Sister Carrie to the work of Mark Twain and Walt Whitman. Carrie, a film adaptation directed by William Wyler and starring Laurence Olivier and Jennifer Jones, premiered in 1952.
Sister Carrie is ranked 33rd on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century.
First Edition Identification
Doubleday, Page first published Sister Carrie in 1900. Bound in red cloth, first editions have the same date listed on the title page as the copyright page.
Other Collectible or Notable Editions
From 1900 to 1980, all published editions of Sister Carrie were actually a second altered version of the text. The original manuscript, now held in the New York Public Library, was not published until 1981 with University of Pennsylvania Press’ scholarly edition of the text.
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Sister Carrie
by Dreiser, Theodore
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- 1917
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Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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Sister Carrie
by Dreiser, Theodore
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- 1900
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Portland, Oregon, USA
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Sister Carrie.
by Dreiser, Theodore
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- 1900
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Palm Beach, Florida, USA
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Sister Carrie
by Dreiser, Theodore
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- 1907
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Portland, Oregon, USA
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Sister Carrie: Unexpurgated Version
by Dreiser, Theodore
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- First Thus 1st Printing
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- 1997
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Woodlawn, Illinois, USA
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Sister Carrie
by DREISER, Theodore
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- 1917
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Gloucester City, New Jersey, USA
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SISTER CARRIE
by DREISER, Theodore
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- 1939
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- Hardcover
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Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, USA
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Sister Carrie
by Dreiser, Theodore (Claude Simpson editor)
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- 1959
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St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Sister Carrie
by DREISER, Theodore
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- 1939
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Somerville, New Jersey, USA
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SISTER CARRIE
by DREISER, Theodore
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- Used - Spine slightly darkened with a vertical scrape to the spine label. Very Good, lacking the slipcase
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- 1939
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Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, USA
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Sister Carrie
by Dreiser, Theodore
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- 1939
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St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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SISTER CARRIE
by DREISER, Theodore
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- Used - Small spot of white paint on the fore-edge of slipcase and the very top of the spine of the book. About Fine in a close to Fine
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- 1939
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- Hardcover
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Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, USA
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Sister Carrie
by Dreiser, Theodore
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- Used - Very Good in Good+ dust jacket
- Published
- 1927
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- Hardcover
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Modesto, California, USA
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SISTER CARRIE
by DREISER, Theodore
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- Used - Owner blindstamp on the front free endpaper, slight browning to the gutters. Spine slightly darkened with a vertical scrape to t
- Published
- 1939
- Binding
- Hardcover
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Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, USA
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SGD 172.45
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SISTER CARRIE
by DREISER, Theodore
- Condition
- Used - Spine slightly darkened with very light wear to tips and to the spine label; small scratch to gilt on top edge. Very Good in a F
- Published
- 1939
- Binding
- Hardcover
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Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, USA
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Sister Carrie; a Novel by Theodore Dreiser; with a New Introduction by Burton Rascoe. Illustrated from Crayon Drawings by Reginald Marsh
by Dreiser, Theodore (1871-1945). Marsh, Reginald (1898-1954) Ill.
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- 1939
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- Hardback
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Galway, IRL
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SGD 114.15
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Sister Carrie (Thrift Editions)
by Dreiser, Theodore
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- Paperback
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- 9780486434681
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GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, GBR
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Sister Carrie (Limited Editions Club, with a new Introduction by Burton Rascoe, and illustrated from crayon drawings by Reginald Marsh, complete with slipcase)
by Dreiser, Theodore
- Condition
- Used - Near Fine with No dust jacket as issued
- Edition
- Limited Edition. First Printing
- Published
- 1939
- Binding
- Hard Cover
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Palatine, Illinois, USA
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SGD 275.92
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SISTER CARRIE
by Theodore Dreiser, illustrated by Reginald Marsh
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- Used - Very Good
- Published
- 1939
- Binding
- Hardcover
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Blue Hill, Maine, USA
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Sister Carrie
by DREISER, Theodore
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- Published
- 1900
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Beverly Hills, California, USA
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