Metropolis

In this captivating 1907 novel, Upton Sinclair delves into the opulent world of New York City’s elite, crafting a vivid portrait of high society. Allan Montague, a thirty-year-old lawyer, relocates from Mississippi to join his mother and cousin Alice, reuniting with his younger brother Oliver, who has fully immersed himself in a whirlwind of social events among the city’s most influential figures. As Oliver introduces Allan to this glamorous yet superficial world, Sinclair reveals the extravagant lifestyles of the wealthy, marked by lavish parties, extravagant expenditures on entertainment, and the allure of luxury cars and private trains. Amidst this splendor, the darker aspects of high society emerge—alcoholism, infidelity, malicious gossip, and the cutthroat nature of social climbing. Experience the highs and lows of New Yorks affluent as Sinclair expertly critiques the shallow values of this captivating society. (Summary by Richard Kilmer)