Showing results by author "Sinclair Lewis" in All Categories

A biting satire that countered the American myth of wholesome small-town life with a depiction of narrow-minded provincialism, it was to some degree based on Lewis's own experience of growing on Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Set in mid-1910s, it depicts the struggles of Carol Kennicott, a city girl, as she tries to adapt to small town life, having left her librarian job and St. Paul, Minnesota to marry Dr. Will Kennicott of Gopher Prairie. Dismayed by the town’s drabness and the conforming, petty inhabitants, Carol optimistically sets out to improve the town.

A blistering rebuke of religious hypocrisy, Elmer Gantry is the story of a charismatic and manipulative social climber who rises to power within his church, despite his insincerity. Though he preaches against immorality and temptation, Reverend Dr Elmer Gantry can’t seem to give up his own vices, and he leaves a trail of broken people behind him in his pursuit of pleasure and power, betraying anybody and doing anything to get ahead.

Babbitt is largely a satire of American culture, society, and behaviour, with its main theme focusing on the power of conformity, and the vacuity of middle-class American life.

At thirty-four, Mr. Wrenn is a humble sales-entry clerk at the Souvenir Company, often found hunched over bills and columns of figures in his inconspicuous blue ready-made suits. Despite his meek demeanor and small, unsuccessful mustache, Mr. Wrenn possesses a vibrant inner life fueled by his imagination. When he unexpectedly inherits a modest sum, he feels compelled to break free from his routine and embark on a journey of self-discovery. What follows is a series of adventures that reveal life to be far more captivating than he ever envisioned... (Introduction by Don Jenkins)

As Babbitt grapples with the suffocating monotony of suburban life, societal expectations, and his own unfulfilled desires, Lewis paints a timeless portrait of conformity, materialism, and self-deception. A biting critique of the American Dream, Babbitt explores the search for meaning in a world that seems more obsessed with status than substance.

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. They can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. The plains of the American Mid-West are home to some very fine exponents of the literary craft. Throughout this vast landscape stories seem to be everywhere offering their experiences as works just awaiting the final touches and flourishes of these famed authors. They deliver in very talented ways.

We travel with The Hawk, or Carl Ericson, son of Norwegian immigrants, born at the end of the 19th century, through the first three adventurous periods of the young man's life. We see him as an adventurous boy, running away with Gertie Cowels, the girl that lives in the big house in the better part of town, only to be rescued by Bone Stillman, a backwoods philosopher and influence on Carl. He leaves his childhood, Gertie and Joralemon behind, for a short attempt at higher education, then to pursue the hobo life, a Bowery bartender, an engineer in Panama, and an aviator.

Claire Boltwood and her father drive their Gomez-Dep roadster from Minnesota to Seattle, exposing themselves to all the perils of early motoring. They encounter the upper-crust Boltwoods who are at once more noble and more insignificant. Other class barriers exist between Claire and a mechanic named Milt, who, along with his cat, follows close behind.

Despite the traditional expectations of marriage placed on Una Golden in her small Pennsylvania town, she travels to New York to work due to a family illness. But once there, Una discovers a talent for the traditional male bastion of commercial real estate. However, while her company claims to value her work, Una struggles to achieve the same status of her male coworkers. Her unique role as a working woman, doing a man’s job, becomes a challenge in finding an appropriate suitor when Una decides it is time to marry after all.

The Pulitzer Prize novel describes the tradeoffs between medical research & money making & much more.

An early 20th century American story written in the Theodore Dreiser style of each word and chapter building on the previous ones, telling the saga of evangelical religion & people with irony throughout.

This classic satirical novel portrays Babbitt as a materialistic, hypocritical, and self-important middle-aged realtor. His brief romantic encounter and an attempt at liberalism are curbed by fear of criticism, forcing him to conform to the wills of his fellow citizens and club members.

Sinclair Lewis’ George F. Babbitt is a complicated and conflicted character. When you think you have his next move figured out, he surprises you. As you begin to like him, he does something to evoke the “what a rat” response. Male menopause wasn’t a pre-Great Depression term, but you could say George has all the symptoms....

Free Air is a witty and romantic road trip novel set in the early 20th century. When an aristocratic New Englander and her father drive from Minneapolis to Seattle, they encounter the untamed beauty of America—and a noble but humble commoner who captures her heart. Sinclair Lewis blends humor, class satire, and adventure in this charming and insightful journey.

Dive into the world of Arrowsmith, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel from 1926 that follows the journey of a brilliant medical student who evolves into a dedicated medical researcher in bustling New York. His life takes a dramatic turn when a devastating plague drives him to a Caribbean island, where he works tirelessly to develop sera and conduct vital research. Along the way, he encounters a cast of intriguing characters—some who challenge him professionally, others who touch his heart romantically. The striking parallels between the epidemic in this story and the pandemic of the 2020s lend a...

Welcome to The Sinclair Lewis Library - a dignified little institution devoted to the careful airing of American ambition, middle-class certainty, and the curious art of taking oneself very seriously. Here, the streets are tidy, the rhetoric is polished, and the human comedy is forever peeking through the curtains. Each episode presents a full reading from Lewis’s novels, where boosters boast, reformers reform, and respectable citizens discover (sometimes to their alarm) that respectability can be the strangest costume of all.Settle in as boardrooms, parlors, laboratories, and Main Streets ...

In Sinclair Lewis groundbreaking novel, Main Street, we follow the journey of Carol Milford, a bright and ambitious young woman armed with a college education and a passion for progress. A self-sufficient librarian in St. Paul, she is swept off her feet by Will Kennicott, a country doctor who persuades her to leave her urban life behind for the rural town of Gopher Prairie. With dreams of transforming the town into a hub of art, culture, and child welfare, Carol is met with the harsh realities of small-town attitudes, ignorance, and bigotry that gradually stifle her spirit. First published in ...

The Job is an early masterpiece by American novelist Sinclair Lewis, serving as a groundbreaking declaration of the rights of working women. The narrative follows Una Golden, a determined young woman striving to carve out her own professional identity while navigating the societal pressures of marriage in the early 1900s. From her humble beginnings in a small Pennsylvania town to the bustling streets of New York City, Unas journey is sparked by a family crisis that compels her to work. She discovers her aptitude for the male-dominated world of commercial real estate, earning respect in her ...

“Mr. and Mrs. Seth Appleby, though nearing the twilight of their years, still found joy in the simplest of gestures—holding hands and cuddling in the corners of their home. Seth, a man with a youthful spirit, cleverly navigates the annual challenge of securing two weeks off from his job at the shoe store to escape to Uncle Joe Tubbs farmhouse on Cape Cod. This year, however, their vacation takes an unexpected turn as they embark on a delightful scheme to open a charming country tea room. Little do they know, their lives are about to transform in ways they never imagined…” (Introduction...

Dive into the captivating tale of Elmer Gantry, where a young, charming, yet morally bankrupt salesman finds himself swept up in the world of evangelism. As Gantry navigates the fervent revivalist circuit, he encounters Sister Sharon Falconer, an inspiring lay preacher, and Lulu Bains, an old acquaintance turned prostitute. This gripping novel delves deep into themes of hypocrisy, greed, and the seductive power of fame. A bestseller at its release, it also inspired a remarkable 1960 film featuring Burt Lancaster as the enigmatic Gantry. - Summary by William Jones