I recently finished 'Careless People' and was struck by how vividly it captures the Jazz Age in America. The novel is set primarily in the 1920s, that wild decade of flappers, speakeasies, and economic boom before the Great Depression crashed the party. What makes the setting special is how the author weaves real historical events into the narrative – you can practically hear the Charleston music playing in background scenes and smell the bootleg whiskey in underground bars. The story unfolds against the backdrop of Prohibition, with characters navigating both the glittering surface of high society and the shadowy underworld that kept it supplied with alcohol.
The time period isn't just decoration though – it fundamentally shapes the characters' lives and choices. You see how the post-WWI economic expansion created this carefree atmosphere where people thought the good times would never end. The novel particularly shines when showing how different social classes experienced the era, from wealthy socialites throwing lavish parties to working-class folks just trying to get by in rapidly changing cities. Technological advancements like automobiles and telephones appear throughout, reminding readers how modernity was transforming everyday life during this fascinating historical moment.
Reading 'Careless People' feels like stepping into a time machine set for 1920s America. The story breathes life into that iconic decade when traditional values clashed with modern attitudes, especially in urban areas. I love how the novel captures details like the fashion - dropped waist dresses, cloche hats, and sharp three-piece suits - that immediately place you in the period. The setting plays a crucial role, showing both the glamorous side with its jazz clubs and extravagant parties, and the darker realities lurking beneath the surface. Historical elements like women gaining voting rights and the cultural impact of WWI veterans returning home add depth to the narrative without feeling forced.
2025-06-30 14:50:59
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Against the sweeping backdrop of Rock Castle's underworld, smoky boardrooms and awry business deals, what begins as a harmless con soon spirals into stolen moments of fleeting kisses and lingering caresses, taking this unlikely duo down a dark and thrilling path where desire and danger constantly collide and heartbreaking choices must be made.
Spin-Off of I AM THE LUNA (The Power of Three Series)
One misjudgment, one fateful choice, and I made the greatest mistake of my life. Left with guilt that will never fade. In this world, there's a rule: if you do something, then do it so thoroughly that there is no trace left. But I couldn’t. Instead, I did what I thought was necessary so I could sleep at night. Now, I’ve broken a code that might just be the very thing that destroys me.
My name is Zion King, and I am the Alpha who represents the supernatural world.
~
He gave me everything, and I worshipped the very ground beneath his feet. Until I realised he was the reason I was left with nothing. Worse, he’s one of them. They say revenge is best served cold, and I’ll make sure it’s so cold that it will shatter his entire world and bring him to his knees before me.
My name is Milena La Croix, and I am one of the Arkan Elite.
Now everything is changing...with everyone of us sweeping under the carpet the scars of yesterday's sins. Those scars are what kept me alive until you are all born to hear the story. The world government was powerful and taking advantage of the human colonial minds, they buried our freedom and equity. But now that we the Elites whom they educated and rose to revolts against the fingers that had fed us... What do you call it? Oh! yes they had termed it Rebellion. They did call us rebels, for seeking a small ration part of the best that nature has given to mankind. Al-sural-tu-Nas.
This for mankind, tell ye that the beast you trained in the dark had turned to an angel in the day. We are filled from the pot of lies now that our bellies cannot contain what they obtain, the promises that were compromised, treaties that were breached, least they covered the black mails and lies with a blanket of Diplomacy. But now is the snatch of the gallon beer from the drunkard because now there is what when diplomacy fails.....is war. "Now we are free." Later in the future a seed germinates bearing fruits of the YESTERDAYS as she possess the abilities to time travel and set broken pieces together but this has consequences in the future of mankind. Read along
When I was five, Mom and Dad took my little brother to the city for kindergarten and left me in a mountain village with my grandfather, who had dementia.
Before they left, Dad told me to take care of Grandpa, watch the house, and protect the yard.
Mom said I was the older brother, so I had to be sensible.
They said that once they made enough money, they'd bring me to the city too.
I didn't want to let go. I clung to Mom's leg and begged through tears, "Mom, please. I don't want to be separated from you."
My tears and snot smeared across her expensive dress.
She scolded me for being difficult, slapped my bottom until it swelled, and struck my face hard enough to break the skin.
In the end, they didn't soften.
They left and never came back.
Three months later, when I was close to starving, I called Mom and begged her to send me something to eat.
She snapped, irritated, "A boy who talks about being hungry every day? Why don't you just starve, then? How can there be nothing to eat in the countryside?
"Your father and I are under so much pressure in the city. Can't you be sensible for once?"
Her words came true.
That winter, I starved to death.
Five years later, Mom pushed open the rotten door.
"Miles," she called. "Mom's back."
I've been married to Sylvia Fuller, a mafia donna, for ten years.
I'm there with her in every life-and-death situation. My hands, which are meant for playing the piano, have developed calluses from using guns. They are also stained with blood from the enemies.
But when Sylvia turns 28, she falls head over heels in love with Wilson Hink, the young man she's brought back from the slums.
Sylvia has hidden him very well… right until the moment I bump into him accompanying her to a prenatal check-up.
Mad with jealousy, I demand Sylvia for answers, but she just passes me a divorce agreement in a lackadaisical manner.
"Wilson is a man of religion. He can't sire a child without getting married, so I have to give him a legitimate status. Sign this agreement, and I'll give you 40% of my shares."
I refuse to give my position away, so Sylvia keeps forcing my hand. In the end, she even kidnaps my younger brother, who's paralyzed from waist down, and drags him to the spot beneath a hydraulic press.
"Sebastian Chance, either you sign the agreement, or watch him get crushed. Your choice."
I kneel on the ground and beg Sylvia to stop. But soon, I hear the hydraulic press being activated. It doesn't take long before I'm completely covered in my brother's flesh and blood.
I end up collapsing onto the gore-splattered ground.
When I open my eyes again, I realize I've gone back in time—back to the time when Wilson has accompanied Sylvia to the prenatal check-up.
This time, I don't say anything. Instead, I contact a rehabilitation center located overseas before filing for a divorce and leaving Sylvia behind.
But once I'm gone for real, Sylvia actually goes crazy.
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My father immediately submitted my profile.
“Since you’re so determined to break up with Cole, let’s see if you can land someone from the Holt family instead.”
I refused, only to get slapped hard across the face as I tried to grab his phone. “You have no choice in this.”
With nowhere else to turn, I went to ask Cole Brody for help. He was the only one who could change my father’s mind.
However, I overheard their conversation.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Brody. Vincent Holt is just a cripple. Bethany’s too proud to accept him. Just give it some time. She’ll come crawling back to you.”
Cole chuckled. “Lulu wants a baby. I’m just helping her out by sleeping with her a few times. It’s not a big deal, yet Bethany just won’t leave it alone. I knew you got a way to keep her in check.”
My body went cold.
It turned out that I had been standing alone in a ruin of lies all along.
However, when the Holt family really picked me, they panicked.
The protagonist in 'Careless People' is Nick Carraway, a character who serves as both the narrator and the moral compass of the story. Nick is a Midwesterner who moves to New York to work in bonds, but he quickly finds himself entangled in the lavish and morally ambiguous world of the East Coast elite, particularly through his neighbor Jay Gatsby. Nick's perspective is crucial because he observes the excesses and tragedies of those around him with a mix of fascination and detachment. His background as a Yale graduate and a World War I veteran gives him a certain credibility and depth, making him more than just a passive observer.
What makes Nick so compelling is his dual role as an insider and outsider. He's close enough to Gatsby to witness his romantic obsession with Daisy Buchanan, yet distant enough to see the destructive consequences of their reunion. Nick's moral sensibilities are repeatedly tested as he navigates a world where wealth and privilege often override decency. His gradual disillusionment with the people he once admired adds a layer of introspection to the novel. By the end, Nick's reflections on the American Dream and the careless recklessness of the wealthy leave a lasting impression, making him one of literature's most nuanced protagonists.