The Genius

The Genius is Theodore Dreiser’s bold and controversial portrait of artistic ambition, desire, and self-destruction in modern America. The novel follows Eugene Witla, a talented painter whose creative drive and hunger for experience propel him from obscurity into the world of art, success, and social recognition.

As Eugene’s career advances, his intense emotional life and restless pursuit of beauty—both artistic and romantic—begin to undermine his stability. Torn between creative freedom and social constraint, genius and excess, he struggles to reconcile his impulses with the demands of society. Frank, psychological, and deeply modern, The Genius explores the cost of creativity, the conflict between art and morality, and the fragile balance between inspiration and ruin.