Frank Norris

1870–1902 (age 32)

author

Photograph of Frank Norris

Biography

Frank Norris (1870–1902) was an influential American novelist and writer who became a leading figure in literary naturalism. His works, including "McTeague" and "The Octopus," examined the lives of ordinary people with unflinching realism and psychological depth. Though his career was tragically brief, cut short by his death at age 32, Norris left an enduring impact on American literature and helped establish naturalism as a dominant literary movement.