Brewster's Millions

George Barr McCutcheon wrote the humorous book Brewster's Millions at first using the alias Richard Greaves. The protagonist of the book is Montgomery Brewster, a young man who receives a million dollars as an inheritance from his wealthy grandpa. He has one year to squander every cent of his grandfather's million dollars, leaving him with no assets or possessions. Brewster will receive the whole seven million dollars if he complies with these conditions; else, he will stay destitute. Under the rigorous guidelines set down by his uncle's bequest, Brewster finds it extremely challenging to spend this much money in a single year. He must exhibit sound business judgement by getting good value for his money and keeping his charitable giving and gambling losses to a minimum. He once risks losing his eligibility for the will by using his resources to safeguard his landlady's account by bailing out a bank. At another, he goes overboard against the advice of his wealthy pals to save a drowning sailor from his trip. His continuous attempts to win her back fall flat because he is preoccupied with the need to spend so much money. At the end of the year, he succeeds in spending the rest of his carefully tracked cash and declares his love for Peggy Gray.