'Manhattan Transfer,' considered by many to be John Dos Passos's greatest work, was first published in 1925. There are several separate stories that overlap one another. With these stories, the novel describes the development of urban life that took place in New York City from the Gilded Age to the Jazz Age. It is believed to be one of the most influential books of Dos Passos. The novel presents Manhattan as a place that is quite merciless, but it teems with activity and energy. The author very clearly criticizes the consumerism and social indifference of contemporary urban life. It also shows that there is a lot of restlessness in Manhattan. More than ninety years after its first publication, it still stands as 'a novel of the very first importance' (Sinclair Lewis). It is a masterpiece of modern fiction and a lasting tribute to the dual-edged nature of the American dream.
