by Theodore Dreiser (Author)
The "Genius" concerns Eugene Witla, a talented painter of strong sexual desires who grapples with his commitment to his art and the force of his erotic needs. Young Eugene escapes the confines of the small town in Illinois where he has been raised to make his way in Chicago. There he studies painting and enjoys the excitement of the city. Eugene becomes engaged to a young woman named Angela, and the couple move to New York City, where he makes a name for himself in the art world, but finds his marriage with the increasingly conventional Angela painfully limiting. Eugene finds it difficult to remain faithful as life based on monogamy seems beyond him.
Back Jacket
Raised in the Midwest, Eugene Witla feels confined in the small town of his youth and longs to make something of himself. A painter, he enrolls at the Chicago Art Institute and moves to the city, where a life of desire, success, and disappointment awaits him. The "Genius" is a semi-autobiographical novel by Theodore Dreiser.