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 Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:14 pm
The Infamy of Fortune: Wealth and Power in an Age of Scandal by Holden James
Published in 1793 as a study of Sunderland's upper class, The Infamy of Fortune seeks to illustrate the devastating effects of wealth and power on individuals and families alike. Its thesis suggests that membership to Sunderland's elite is ultimately a death sentence and that money will inevitably cause the downfall of any family involved in the affairs of the upper class. This book delves into some of the biggest crimes and scandals of the past century, using these as case studies to render the author's point pertinent.
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:30 pm
A native of Palisade, Holden James was born in 1754 to a tailor father and a baker mother. Every day was a struggle during James' childhood and the family simply did not have the time or the energy to be a creative one. Every member's beliefs were firmly rooted in logic and the everyday.
James grew up with a deep-seated distrust and disdain for the upper class. His upbringing had brought him to believe that money and power were the root of all evil, and by his early 20s, he had entered into the world of activism. He favored the abolition of all social and economic classes and wrote numerous pamphlets for his cause.
James began working on The Infamy of Fortune in 1780, scouring Palisade for sources. He was unsuccessful, in many cases, in reaching the people involved due to class differences, and most of the claims in his book are predicated on the statements of secondary sources and popular rumors.
The book did manage to generate some small-time buzz but it was not a popular one and failed to reach most of the public. Although it was written with the intention of opening the eyes of the lower class, the vast majority of its readers are members of the upper class, thus garnering mostly poor reviews while failing to reach its intended audience.
Due to its poor reviews, the book can be difficult to find in bookstores, though large public libraries will likely have a copy in store.
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:32 pm
Case Studies
Details the events that unfolded around the family of Gabriel Blithe a decade ago, from the disappearance of Marie Blithe to the disappearances/murder of the rest of the family several years later.
James takes quite a liberal view on the incidents, suggesting that Gabriel Blithe, under the influence and corruption of wealth and power, was the sole perpetrator of any and all crimes that occurred within the family, leaving him ultimately responsible for all that happened. The author suggests that Marie Blithe's disappearance, as a separate incident, was simply an early indicator of the crimes that would follow.
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:39 pm
* If your upper-class character's family has had some sort of big scandal, feel free to add it into the book as another case study.
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