McTeague

McTeague by Frank Norris is a fiction first published in 1899. McTeague: A Story of San Francisco is a novel published in 1899. It follows a San Francisco dentist and his wife as their marriage disintegrates into violence and tragedy, driven by jealousy, greed, and obsession with money. When McTeague loses his dental practice through betrayal, the couple descends into poverty while his wife's miserly hoarding intensifies. Their story builds toward a devastating climax in the desolate wasteland of Death Valley, where past grievances and stolen gold lead to a final, haunting confrontation. Its treatment of Avarice, Dentists, and Didactic fiction gives readers several ways to connect the immediate story or argument with broader questions. The book’s distinctive character comes from a character-centered narrative style that rewards attention to voice, structure, and perspective. At roughly 115,958 words with a fairly easy reading profile, it offers a reading commitment that is easy to judge before beginning while still leaving room for close attention. Its continuing value lies in its capacity to make unfamiliar lives and difficult choices emotionally legible. Readers drawn to fiction and Avarice and Dentists will find a work that combines a distinct period voice with questions that remain recognizable today.