Showing results by author "Sinclair Lewis" in All Categories

The lonely predicament of Carol Kennicott, caught between her desires for social reform and individual happiness, reflects the position in which America's turn-of-the-century "emancipated woman" found herself.

A greedy, philandering Baptist minister, Elmer Gantry turns to evangelism and becomes the leader of a large Methodist congregation. Often exposed as a fraud, he is never fully discredited. Elmer Gantry is considered a landmark American novel and one of the most penetrating studies of hypocrisy in modern literature. It portrays the evangelistic activity that was common in 1920s America as well as attitudes toward it.

On the surface, everything is all right with Babbitt’s world of the solid, successful businessman. But in reality, George F. Babbitt is a lonely, middle-aged man. He doesn’t understand his family, has an unsuccessful attempt at an affair, and is almost financially ruined when he dares to voice sympathy for some striking workers. Babbitt finds that his only safety lies deep in the fold of those who play it safe. He is a man who has added a new word to our language: a “Babbitt,” meaning someone who conforms unthinkingly, a sheep.

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.

Doremus Jessup, a newspaper editor, is dismayed to find that many of the people he knows support presidential candidate Berzelius Windrip. The suspiciously fascist Windrip is offering to save the nation from sex, crime, welfare cheats, and a liberal press. But after Windrip wins the election, dissent soon becomes dangerous for Jessup. Windrip forcibly gains control of Congress and the Supreme Court and, with the aid of his personal paramilitary storm troopers, turns the United States into a totalitarian state.

With his breathtaking social insight and his graceful sentences, Sinclair Lewis—a Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winner—stands out as one of the most important American writers of the 20th century. At turns lyrically soul-searching and scathing in its honesty, Babbitt captures the essence of the 1920s while remaining a timeless piece of literature. Babbitt, the ultimate conformist and social climber, seeks power in his community and self-esteem from others. Outwardly, he is the ultimate “big booster,” and he toes the company line with “zip and zowie.”

"Doctor Arrowsmith" es considerada una de las obras maestras de la narrativa norteamericana del siglo XX. Como hijo y nieto de médicos, Sinclair Lewis tenía gran cantidad de conocimientos sobre el mundo de la medicina. El libro sigue la vida de Martin Arrowsmith, un tipo bastante común que entra en contacto con la medicina a los catorce años como asistente del médico en su ciudad natal. Lewis narra de manera brillante el mundo de la investigación y de las compañías farmacéuticas, también las modestas ambiciones de muchos hombres y mujeres que tienen una gran vocación.

Martin Arrowsmith’s youthful curiosity for science has blossomed into an altruistic devotion to medicine and research. The doctor moves from small towns to big cities and from local offices to prestigious institutes. With every step upward that Arrowsmith takes in his career, his idealism is challenged by the greed, corruption, and commercialism of the scientific community, as well as by the temptations of women, money, power, and glory. Against the odds, and through loss and groundbreaking discovery, Dr. Arrowsmith must stay true.

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)

In this volume whatever the odds stacked against our characters one thing is certain; they will prevail, and life will be good. But the journey is filled with complications and trials that only an author would dare put into words.

Throughout the long centuries of human history is the want, and the need, to share information, to exchange ideas and for that knowledge and experience, for curiosity and learning, to be the basis of a civil society. In this volume we offer up a small selection of talents from the literary landscape of the North American male author whose time has now come again.

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 I would say George has all the symptoms. At a pudgy balding forty six he looks at his life, wife, family and business. He sees himself as a pretty successful business man, but when Tanis, the lonely widow, has a leaky roof, he sees an opportunity for perhaps a more fulfilling relationship then he has at home. ...

"Babbitt" by Sinclair Lewis presents a biting satire of middle-class American life in the 1920s, exploring conformity, ambition, and the hollowness of societal expectations. This podcast delves into the life of George Babbitt, a prosperous businessman whose comfortable life begins to unravel as he questions the values of success and happiness. It's a fascinating critique of consumerism, materialism, and the American Dream.

In this series we explore the many facets of love through literary talents that span both time and country. Love comes in many forms, many shades and many hues. There is one though that society wants more than any other and it is now part of our culture. Yes, the Happy Ending.

In this series we explore the many facets of love through literary talents that span both time and country. When two people meet, when eyes glance and lock. And we often say something ‘clicks’; ‘it feels like I’ve known you forever’. Romance begins to brew and to blossom. In this volume our masterful writers take on the task of describing and revealing the beginnings of a romance, and some may even lead to love.

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.

Featured in the acclaimed collection, The Best Short Stories of 1918, Willow Walk spins the gripping yarn of a morally compromised man orchestrating an intricate heist. As he spirals into insanity, the story culminates in an unforeseen twist that should have rightfully earned Lewis an O. Henry Award. This riveting narrative is brought to life through the compelling narration of Matt Pierard.

George Babbitt has it all: a successful real estate job, a shiny car, a modern house equipped with all the latest technology, and a devoted wife and three children. However, underneath his public persona, he’s beginning to feel that something is missing, and when a tragic incident occurs Babbitt revolts against his hollow life. Can he overthrow everything he values, or will he remain trapped in the machinery of modern life?

Throughout the long centuries of human history is the want, and the need, to share information, to exchange ideas and for that knowledge and experience, for curiosity and learning, to be the basis of a civil society. In this volume we offer up a small selection of talents from the literary landscape of the American male author whose time has now come again.

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.