** spoiler alert ** 
 I really enjoyed this book. It is set in the late 19th century and focuses on Carrie a young woman from a small midwestern town who wants more out of life than her poor family can provide. She strikes out on her own for Chicago, to live with her married sister. The story of her quest for something special leads her to relationships and to independence. 
 I identified with many aspects of Carrie's story. She is impatient and doesn't want to wait to acquire certain things. She wants something more and different than what she had growing up. She wants to leave her small town for the city and interesting experiences. She loses touch with people too easily when moving on to the next thing - she doesn't keep up with people and soon loses track of them. She moves around frequently and has to frequently adjust to new circumstances. She is shy and uncertain, meaning that making friends can be challenging. 
 On the other hand, Carrie takes up with two successive men who offer her opportunities to escape poverty. She looks to these men (to whom she is "pretend married") to provide for her, losing patience with them when they indicate that there are limits to their ability to buy her things or allow her to live in a style that she craves. She is quite self-absorbed, rarely thinking about how others feel or the sacrifices they are making. She is shallow through most of the story, thinking only of pretty dresses and expensive furnishings. Of course, she is young so some of this is understandable. 
 The two men on whom Carrie depends, Charlie Drouet and George Hurstwood, are very different. Drouet is a gregarious traveling salesman who meets Carrie on her way to Chicago and they set up house. They tell everyone they are married to avoid the stigma. Charlie is generally a good guy who is looking for a good time but is not into commitments. He is sort of annoyingly good-natured, IMO. Hurstwood is the manager of an upscale restaurant; he's fairly rich and important in the Chicago scene. He is in his early 40s, smart and well-groomed; his refinement represents everything to which Carrie aspires. He falls in love with Carrie, who brings light and excitement back into his life. Hurstwood is sort of a pathetic character (his wife is a shrew, his children are social climbers and his life has become a stale routine) who wants to change his life. 
 Although she leaves Chicago with Hurstwood, she finds unhappiness as they slip into poverty - his property is in his wife's name to avoid certain taxes, etc. and he leaves his job with $10,000 that belongs to his employer. Given the way he left town, he can't draw on references and experience to get something comparable in NYC. He works for a couple of years, but they live modestly ... and eventually slide into poverty. 
 Carrie finally goes to work in a theater as a chorus girl and leaves Hurstwood. He is the more compelling character, IMO, as he has to process who he is versus who he was. He tries to find work, but has the challenge of being older and appearing to be without much experience in anything. He eventually falls into depression and ill-health. The description of his decline is achingly poignant, IMO. As Carries star rises, his life crashes. He is on the streets, hungry, sick, homeless and eventually decides he's "done". It is so sad. 
 It is during this part where Carrie seems uncaring. Yes, they have split up, but he is so low. He comes to her for money - only briefly - and then goes away, but she does nothing to find him. On a positive note, she seems to start to think more deeply about things and to become a bit more aware of the poverty in which people live. 
 None of the characters are particularly likable, but they are interesting and seem real. The situations in the book also seem realistic. It is interesting to see how things change and to think about what might have been had different decisions been made. 
 This book focuses on: 
 1. The superficiality, carelessness and callousness of the wealthy. 
 2. The desire to be materially rich (with the right connections) while remaining intellectually vacuous, emotionally detached and lacking in compassion. 
 3. Having the ability to pass by without noticing those who are dying a slow death. 
 4. Coming to terms with life's decisions and changes.