The Rise of Silas Lapham

The Rise of Silas Lapham is a novel written by William Dean Howells in 1885 about the materialistic rise of Silas Lapham from rags to riches, and his ensuing moral susceptibility.

Silas earns a fortune in the paint business, but he lacks social standards, which he tries to attain through his daughter's marriage to the aristocratic Corey family.

21st Century Wall Street frauds and thieves could learn much from the moral struggle expressed in this classic novel.