What was Theodore Dreiser's first novel?

Theodore Dreiser's first novel is Sister Carrie, which was published in 1900.123

Although it is now considered a work of pivotal importance in American literature and a masterpiece of American naturalism, the novel faced significant challenges upon its initial release. Due to the publisher's concerns regarding the book's subject matter—specifically its portrayal of a young woman whose "immorality" goes unpunished—the work was suppressed and limited in its advertising, resulting in low initial sales. It was not until later years that the novel gained widespread recognition as a model for realism in American fiction.132