What Is The Main Plot Of The Vanderbilts Novel?

The Vanderbilts' novel isn't a single, well-known title, but I'd love to dive into what it could be if we're imagining a story centered around the infamous Vanderbilt family—those titans of the gilded age whose drama, wealth, and scandal could fuel a thousand novels. Picture a sprawling historical saga, maybe something like 'the age of innocence' meets 'Succession,' where railroads, ballrooms, and cutthroat ambition collide. The main plot might follow Cornelius Vanderbilt's rise from a ferry boy to the 'Commodore' of shipping and railroads, with all the ruthless business tactics and family betrayals that entailed. His descendants—like Alva Vanderbilt, who weaponized high society to crush old-money elites, or poor Gloria Vanderbilt, caught in a custody battle that scandalized the 1930s—could each anchor their own subplots. You'd get lavish parties, lawsuits, and even a ghost or two haunting their Biltmore Estate.

If we're talking fiction, the heart of the story would likely be the tension between obscene wealth and personal ruin. Imagine a protagonist—maybe a fictional Vanderbilt heir—torn between duty and desire, like squandering their inheritance on art nouveau or rebelling against their parents' arranged marriages. There'd be sabotage, forbidden love affairs, and maybe even a murder mystery at one of their Newport cottages. Real-life events like the sinking of the Vanderbilt yacht or the family's feud over Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney's art museum could twist into fictional catalysts. Honestly, I'd read this in a heartbeat; it's got all the ingredients for a addictive, soapy epic with historical heft. Someone call HBO!