
In a bustling Chicago opera house, two sisters—Laura, poised and thoughtful, and her younger sibling Page, confident and striking—wait for the curtain to rise. The grand hall swarms with elegantly dressed patrons, their gowns shimmering in the glow of gaslights, while the cold February wind howls outside. Through vivid details, the narrative paints the contrast between the warm, perfume‑laden interior and the icy streets beyond, immersing listeners in a world of anticipation and social intrigue.
As the audience gathers, the sisters’ nervous whispers reveal personal stakes tied to the evening’s performance. Their observations of the crowd’s fashions, the murmuring conversations, and the subtle tensions among the characters set the stage for a story that explores ambition, family bonds, and the glittering yet demanding world of early‑20th‑century high society. The opening promises a richly textured portrait of Chicago’s cultural scene, inviting listeners to step into an atmosphere where every glance and whispered doubt carries weight.
Language
fi
Duration
~6 hours (347K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
Finland: Viipurin Työväen Sanomalehti- ja Kirjapaino-Osakeyhtiö, 1914.
Credits
Tapio Riikonen
Release date
2023-05-16
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1870–1902
A major early voice of American naturalism, he wrote vivid, often unsettling fiction about greed, power, and the forces that shape ordinary lives. Though he died at just 32, his novels helped define a tougher, more modern kind of realism in American literature.
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