Babbitt

...as well as a fantastic satire of the American middle-classes in the 1920s.George F Babbitt is a successful businessman in the American Midwest who starts, slowly at first, to rebel against the conformity of respectable society in the (fictional) small city of Zenith, initially bringing confusion from family and friends, and later his causing his own ostracism from the local respectable set. Lewis described in a letter to his publisher how "He is all of us Americans at 46, prosperous but worried, wanting - passionately - to seize something more than motor cars and a house before it's too late."It's a wonderful novel, and if you've never read any Sinclair Lewis before then this is a great place to start. He combines gentle humour through fantastic observation of characters with biting satire. You can be chuckling happily one moment and wincing the next. He also manages to create a character here who is entirely believable, likeable for all his follies and weaknesses, and eventually quite inspiring. Set over two years in Babbitt's life, with a somewhat ambiguous ending, it is a great piece of writing judged either as satire or as a touching portrait of a changing man. I really would recommend this novel to anyone.

In this novel about a Realtor (NOT an estate agent) we see the beginnings of the consumer society to which everyone has since aspired. In the early 20th century Babbitt runs a business selling houses at inflated prices, he goes home in a car to a house on a recently built estate and listens to music on his phonograph. He belongs to several groups such as the masons and makes good money. He enjoys holidays and parties and his life style is better then any other middle class person in any country in the world at that time.However the price of success is dull conformity and he derails himself by taking a mistress , drinking illegally and mixing with the wrong people. Much worse he becomes interested in socialism and is shunned by his former friends. It's a blueprint for life here in the 21st century as well as a commentary on the great issues of the day. It was enjoyable, satisfying and relevant to the way we are now.

It was a bit of a learning curve to get through the '20's language- and "that's a fact"! But it was a wonderful slice of middle-American life just after WWI. Very insightful reading, great descriptions. Lewis seems to be able to cut to the core of a person and in just a few words deliver the character 'on a plate'. Although we are almost 100 years difference in time, it just shows truly that what goes around comes around!

Haven't read it all yet - it's hard to read through that slang of the time it was written.

The most boring book I have ever read or at least attempted to read. I was giving up at 10% but pushed on to 15% and then started to skip pages so stopped. I have never done this before, I have always persisted to the end. The story is dull, the literature is dull and one must assume the author is also dull. Their is no story there is no emotion. A diatribe of dullness that does not even justify one star.

A,wet acerbic satirical critique of conservative American values, by a writer under appreciated this side of the pond.

Description after description after description.It is endless.The writing is too dense,the plot non existent for 70% of the book.

Coming late to Sinclair Lewis, I now understand his lasting popularity and why he was awarded a Nobel Prize.It is a laugh-out loud read, while exposing the hypochracy of American business culture Steve Keen in Debunking Economics alerted me to Babbitt.I now intend to try Main Street!