Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Social Climbing
Get Shorty
by Elmore Leonard
A criminal comedy about a low-level hoodlum's ambitions to become a Hollywood producer.
The story centers on Ernesto "Chili" Palmer, a small-time loan shark based in Miami . After a run-in with mobster Ray "Bones" Barboni, Chili goes to Las Vegas in pursuit of Leo Devoe, a dry cleaner ... (Wikipedia)
Dead Souls
by Nikolai Gogol
A satirical tale of a man's quest for wealth, exposing the corruption of 19th century Russian society.
The story follows the exploits of Chichikov, a middle-aged gentleman of middling social class and means. Chichikov arrives in a small town and turns on the charm to woo key local officials and ... (Wikipedia)
The Ladies' Paradise
by Émile Zola
A story of ambition and romance set in the world of a 19th Century Parisian department store.
The Ladies Paradise (Au Bonheur des Dames) recounts the rise of the modern department store in late nineteenth-century Paris. The store is a symbol of capitalism, of the modern city, and of the ... (Goodreads)
Bel-Ami
by Guy de Maupassant
A man rises to power by manipulating the powerful people around him.
The story chronicles the rise to power of journalist Georges Duroy from a poor ex-NCO to one of the most successful men in Paris – most of which he achieves by means of a series of powerful, ... (Barnes & Noble)
The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton
A young woman's struggle to navigate New York high society, in pursuit of financial security and true love.
Lily Bart, a beautiful but impoverished socialite, is on her way to a house party at Bellomont, the country home of her best friend, Judy Trenor. Her pressing task is to find a husband with the ... (Wikipedia)
Cometh the Hour
by Jeffrey Archer
An intriguing and fast-paced novel exploring secrets, lies and family dynamics.
Cometh the Hour opens with the reading of the suicide note of Alex Fisher, MP. This note has potentially devastating consequences for Harry and Emma Clifton, Sir Giles Barrington and Lady Virginia ... (Wikipedia)
Père Goriot
by Honoré de Balzac
A tale of ambition, greed, and human relationships in 19th century Paris.
The novel opens with an extended description of the Maison Vauquer, a boarding house in Paris' rue Neuve-Sainte-Geneviève covered with vines, owned by the widow Madame Vauquer. The residents include ... (Wikipedia)
The Devil Wears Prada
by Lauren Weisberger
A young woman's quest for career success in the cutthroat world of fashion.
Andrea Sachs, a recent graduate of Brown University with a degree in English , moves to New York City with her best friend, Lily, a graduate student at Columbia . Andrea hopes to find a career in ... (Wikipedia)
The Custom of the Country
by Edith Wharton
A woman's rise to the top of high society, exploring the cut-throat world of New York.
The Spraggs, a family of midwesterners from the fictional city of Apex who have made money through somewhat shady financial dealings, arrive in New York City at the prompting of their beautiful, ... (Wikipedia)
The Talented Mr. Ripley
by Patricia Highsmith
A young conman's descent into a life of crime, with deadly consequences.
Tom Ripley is a young man struggling to make a living in New York City by whatever means necessary, including a series of small-time confidence scams . One day, he is approached by shipping magnate ... (Wikipedia)
Paths of Glory
by Jeffrey Archer
A story of ambition, power and intrigue in the twisted world of politics.
Some people have dreams that are so magnificent that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed. People like Christopher Columbus, Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale, ... (Goodreads)
Be Careful What You Wish For
by Jeffrey Archer
A man's ambitious quest for power leads to consequences he never anticipated.
Be Careful What You Wish For follows the Barrington-Clifton family during the years 1957 to 1964, when Emma Barrington Clifton seeks to take control of her family shipping business and must deal with ... (Wikipedia)
Rich People Problems
by Kevin Kwan
An exploration of the luxurious and scandalous world of the ultra-wealthy.
In 2015, two years after the events that take place in China Rich Girlfriend , Nick and Rachel Young (née Chu), an economics professor at New York University (NYU), are happily married and living ... (Wikipedia)
Vanity Fair
by William Makepeace Thackeray
A story of social climbing and ambition, set against the backdrop of 19th century England.
A novel that chronicles the lives of two women who could not be more different: Becky Sharp, an orphan whose only resources are her vast ambitions, her native wit, and her loose morals; and her ... (Goodreads)
The Last Mrs. Parrish
by Liv Constantine
A woman's mission to gain the life she's always wanted by manipulating those around her.
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER AND A REESE WITHERSPOON HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK “Will keep you up. In a ‘can’t put it down’ way. It’s ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ with XX chromosomes.” —The Skimm ... (Barnes & Noble)
Martin Chuzzlewit
by Charles Dickens
A satirical tale of a young man's trials and tribulations of greed, deception, and redemption.
Martin Chuzzlewit has been raised by his grandfather and namesake. Years before Martin senior took the precaution of raising an orphaned girl, Mary Graham, to be his companion and nursemaid, with the ... (Wikipedia)
The Red and the Black
by Stendhal
A young man's ambitious rise in 19th century French society, as he navigates through its politics and passions.
In two volumes,, The Red and the Black: A Chronicle of the 19th Century, tells the story of Julien Sorel's life in France's rigid social structure restored after the disruptions of the French ... (Wikipedia)
The Grand Sophy
by Georgette Heyer
An unconventional young woman's spirited adventure to restore order and joy to her new family.
For the past several years Sophia Stanton-Lacy (known as Sophy to everyone) has lived away from England, following her diplomat father Sir Horace around Europe while the Napoleonic Wars raged on. Now ... (Wikipedia)
Arabella
by Georgette Heyer
A spirited young woman's adventures, navigating society's expectations and finding true love.
Arabella, the beautiful daughter of a country vicar, sets out to London to have a season and make an advantageous marriage. On her way there, her carriage has an accident and she has to stop over at ... (Wikipedia)
Bright Lights, Big City
by Jay McInerney
A young man's journey of personal growth, navigating the chaos of New York City.
The story's narrator is a 24-year-old writer who works as a fact checker for a highbrow magazine for which he had once hoped to write. By night, he is a cocaine -using party-goer seeking to lose ... (Wikipedia)
One Fifth Avenue
by Candace Bushnell
The lives of the wealthy and glamorous residents of One Fifth Avenue intertwine in a tale of ambition, betrayal, and scandal.
From one of the most consistently astute and engaging social commentators of our day comes another look at the tough and tender women of New York City – this time, through the lens of where they ... (Goodreads)
Captains and the Kings
by Taylor Caldwell
The rise of an Irish immigrant from poverty to wealth and power, and the corruption and tragedy that follow.
Young Joseph Armagh, recently of Ireland, who promised his dying mother to care for his younger siblings lands in Boston . His determination carries him through years of shady-deal making and his ... (Wikipedia)
Splendor
by Anna Godbersen
In the luxurious world of Manhattan's elite in 1929, two sisters navigate love, betrayal, and scandal.
New Beginnings.,Shocking Revelations.,Unexpected Endings. As spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new roles as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But ... (Goodreads)
Lipstick Jungle
by Candace Bushnell
Three successful women navigate their careers, relationships, and personal lives in New York City's cutthroat fashion industry.
In a way, Candace Bushnell's Lipstick Jungle picks up where her career-defining book Sex and the City left off, in the money-soaked, power-hungry, beauty-obsessed jungle that is New York City. This ... (Goodreads)
The Swans of Fifth Avenue
by Melanie Benjamin
A tale of a rich socialite, her scandalous relationship with Truman Capote and its consequences.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator’s Wife comes an enthralling new novel about Truman Capote’s scandalous, headline-making, and heart-wrenching friendship with Babe Paley and ... (Goodreads)
Envy
by Anna Godbersen
In the luxurious world of Manhattan's elite in the 1920s, two best friends become rivals for love and social status.
Henry Schoonmaker, the handsome son of a wealthy tycoon, is now married to Penelope Hayes, due to her scheming. Henry refuses to even sleep in the same room as his new wife, as he remains infatuated ... (Wikipedia)
The Thousandth Floor
by Katharine McGee
In a thousand-floor tower, five teenagers' lives intertwine in a world of wealth, glamour, and secrets, leading to a tragic event that changes everything.
New York Times bestseller This edition includes never-before-seen deleted scenes, fan-favorite graphics, and a sneak peek to the next book in the series,, The Dazzling Heights,!, New York City as ... (Barnes & Noble)
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