Just reread the book and then saw the centenary article where which sums up why, I think this was the best thing ever produced by an American writer (yes, I'm including the Great Gatsby): it sums up the insecurity, greed and mercilessness of American society, the need to climb over the bodies to "make it," and the whole cold, brutal face of official American society and particularly the ultra-wealthy.

It follows Clyde Griffiths, an ambitious young man desperate to escape his impoverished, religious upbringing.

While working at his uncle’s factory, Clyde begins a secret affair with a poor worker, Roberta Alden, who becomes pregnant. Simultaneously, he gains entry into high society and falls for the wealthy Sondra Finchley. Seeing Roberta as an obstacle to his social ascent, Clyde plots to kill her in a boating accident. Though he hesitates, the boat capsizes and Roberta drowns. Clyde is ultimately tried and executed, serving as a grim symbol of a society that prizes status over morality.