keilj
02-10-2010, 04:25 PM
Sinclair Lewis is regarded as one of the most influential American authors of the 20th century, yet he seems to be unknown/unread by most people. So I have sort of 3 general purposes for starting this thread.
1 - If anyone had read Lewis, and would like to give their impressions of the book they read by him, please do so
2 - Perhaps discuss why he is fairly unknown, and why many of his novels are now out of print. (I had to hunt up some of his novels on eBay, in hardcover, becasue there aren't even any paperbacks of them)
3 - For anyone who has not read him - I'd like to give a loud recommendation for doing so! If you like Steinbeck, Scott Fitzgerald, or other authors who write about common Americans, Lewis is great. I'd particularly recommend Babbit, The Prodigal Parents, Kingsblood Royal, and Arrowsmith.
Lewis has a rich, sometimes humorous writing style, and a talent for depicting the everyday person and the challenges that they face. He truly is one of my favorite writers. His books are realistic, personal, and they get under your skin in the best way. He was the first American to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, yet in conversations about great American authors, I doubt you will hear him mentioned with the likes of Steinbeck, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, or Faulkner. I think he deserves to be - and I wonder if there are others out there that agree!
1 - If anyone had read Lewis, and would like to give their impressions of the book they read by him, please do so
2 - Perhaps discuss why he is fairly unknown, and why many of his novels are now out of print. (I had to hunt up some of his novels on eBay, in hardcover, becasue there aren't even any paperbacks of them)
3 - For anyone who has not read him - I'd like to give a loud recommendation for doing so! If you like Steinbeck, Scott Fitzgerald, or other authors who write about common Americans, Lewis is great. I'd particularly recommend Babbit, The Prodigal Parents, Kingsblood Royal, and Arrowsmith.
Lewis has a rich, sometimes humorous writing style, and a talent for depicting the everyday person and the challenges that they face. He truly is one of my favorite writers. His books are realistic, personal, and they get under your skin in the best way. He was the first American to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, yet in conversations about great American authors, I doubt you will hear him mentioned with the likes of Steinbeck, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, or Faulkner. I think he deserves to be - and I wonder if there are others out there that agree!