Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951) "Les tours de Zénith se dressaient au-dessus de la brume matinale, tours austères d'acier, de ciment et de pierre, hardies comme des rocs et délicates comme des baguettes d'argent. Ce n'étaient ni des citadelles, ni des églises, mais franchement, magnifiquement, des édifices pour bureaux. Le brouillard prenait en pitié les bâtisses lépreuses des générations précédentes, l'hôtel des postes au toit mansardé, les minarets en briques rouges de vieilles maisons pataudes, les fabriques aux fenêtres rares et noires de suie, les échoppes en bois couleur de boue. La ville était pleine de ces constructions baroques, mais les tours nettes les chassaient du centre des affaires et, sur les collines plus éloignées, brillaient des maisons neuves, foyers, semblait-il, faits pour le rire et la tranquillité. Sur un pont passa, rapide et silencieuse, une limousine au long capot brillant. Les occupants, en tenue de soirée, revenaient de la répétition de nuit de la pièce d'un petit théâtre, divertissement artistique égayé par beaucoup de champagne. Au-dessous du pont s'incurvait une ligne de chemin de fer, dédale de lumières vertes et rouges. Le rapide de New York se précipita avec fracas, et vingt rais d'acier poli bondirent dans la clarté." Zenith (ville imaginaire), 1920. George F. Babbtt représente le citoyen qui a réussi : la quarantaine, une agence immobilière prospère, une maison dans les beaux quartiers, une femme et 3 enfants, membre de plusieurs clubs... c'est un homme épanoui ! mais est-il si épanoui que cela ?

`Babbitt' represents one of Sinclair's most profound and thought-provoking works of satire and resulted in Sinclair winning the Nobel prize. The story follows George Babbitt, owner of a successful real-estate business, husband to a stunning wife and father of three children. he seemingly has everything a person could want and yet happiness eludes him. Finding himself in this maelstrom of emotion George Babbitt decides to strike out against the machine of society; among other acts of dissent, he dabbles with liberal politics and decides to have an affair. But will the cost of this rebellion be a price Babbitt is willing to pay? The novel is a criticism of a superficial and materialistic society that has come to place `things' at the centre of our existence, where we are expected to behave and act a certain way. It is a haunting, humorous and profound novel that remains incredibly relevant to this day, if you loved Christian Bale's `American Psycho', you'll love this classic. Harry Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951) was an American author and playwright . As well as a Yale graduate, he was the first American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1930. He became renowned for his biting critiques and satire of American capitalism and materialism in the inter-war years. Additionally he is remembered for his strong characterisations of modern working women in his novels. His most notable works include "The Trail of the Hawk", "Main Street", "Free Air", and "Babbitt".

Fatigué de vendre du matériel agricole dont personne n'a que faire, Elmer Gantry a décidé de faire fortune dans la religion et de devenir évêque. Pourtant Elmer n'est pas du genre à croire au ciel. Il boit sans retenue, et manipule les jeunes filles ; mais il chante comme un Dieu. Chaque jour, sa chaude voix de baryton résonne dans les églises et convainc les coeurs animés par la foi. Tunique de lin blanc et visage doux la journée, tailleur moulant et sourire assassin le soir : jamais l'industrie céleste n'a si bien marché. Grâce à ce roman satirique qui, à sa sortie, fit grincer des dents toute l'Amérique conformiste, Sinclair Lewis reçut le Prix Nobel de littérature en 1930. Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951) est un grand auteur américain des années folles. Grâce à ses romans satiriques, naturalistes et polémiques, qui dépeignent la vie moderne américaine et de la classe moyenne, il fut le premier Américain à recevoir le prix Nobel de littérature. Parmi ses oeuvres majeures on compte : « Arrowsmith », prix Pulitzer, « Babbitt » ou « Elmer Gantry ».

Babbitt de Sinclair Lewis : une plongée acerbe et drôle dans l'Amérique des années 1920, où George F. Babbitt, agent immobilier prospère et citoyen modèle, incarne à la perfection les travers de la classe moyenne.

The Short Stories of Sinclair Lewis: Complete Collection, Vol. 1 - Illustrated gathers together twenty remarkable works by America's first Nobel Prize laureate in Literature. Written between 1915 and 1930, these stories showcase Lewis's keen eye for social detail, his incisive wit, and his enduring fascination with the contradictions of modern life. From the sardonic humor of "Commutation: $9.17" to the haunting suspense of "The Willow Walk", Lewis demonstrates his extraordinary range, moving fluidly between satire, romance, and psychological drama. Tales such as "Young Man Axelbrod" and "The Hack Driver" have become classics in their own right, celebrated for their vivid characters and sharp observations of small-town America. Others, like "A Matter of Business" and "A Letter from the Queen," reveal Lewis's deftness in portraying both the aspirations and disillusionments of the early twentieth century. This illustrated volume not only preserves Lewis's narrative artistry but also enriches it with visual context, immersing readers in the atmosphere of the era. Collectively, these stories highlight the humor, irony, and social criticism that would later define his landmark novels. For admirers of American literature, this collection offers an indispensable window into the evolution of one of its most influential voices. Contents: -Commutation: $9.17 -If I Were Boss -A Story with a Happy Ending -Young Man Axelbrod -The Whisperer -Slip It to 'Em -The Willow Walk -Getting His Bit -Jazz -Moths in the Arc Light -Things -The Cat of the Stars -Speed -Bronze Bars -Way I See It -The Good Sport -A Matter of Business -Number Seven to Sagapoose -The Hack Driver -A Letter from the Queen -Go East, Young Man

Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis is a provocative and incisive novel that exposes the hypocrisies and moral corruption within American religious life in the 1920s. The story follows Elmer Gantry, a charming, ambitious, and unscrupulous young man who rises through the ranks of the evangelical movement. Outwardly pious and charismatic, Gantry exploits faith for personal gain, weaving a web of manipulation, deception, and scandal. Through Gantry's journey, Lewis critiques the commercialization of religion, the blind devotion of followers, and the tension between true spirituality and self-serving ambition. The novel blends sharp satire with compelling character study, creating a biting social commentary on the intersection of power, morality, and religion. Elmer Gantry remains a landmark work of American literature for its fearless examination of human flaws and institutional hypocrisy. Its provocative themes sparked controversy at the time of publication, yet the novel's wit, insight, and moral questioning continue to resonate with modern readers. Lewis's portrayal of Elmer Gantry challenges readers to reflect on integrity, belief, and the seductive power of charisma in shaping both individuals and society.

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis is a penetrating and satirical exploration of small-town American life in the early 20th century. The novel follows Carol Kennicott, a young, idealistic woman who moves to the provincial town of Gopher Prairie after marrying Dr. Will Kennicott. Hoping to inspire cultural and social reform, Carol quickly finds herself frustrated by the narrow-mindedness, complacency, and social conventions of the townspeople. Through Carol's eyes, Lewis critiques the rigid social hierarchies, hypocrisy, and resistance to change that often characterize small communities. The novel balances humor with incisive social commentary, exposing the limitations placed on individual ambition and creativity in a conformist society. Main Street is both a vivid portrait of American life between the wars and a timeless exploration of the clash between personal ideals and societal expectations. Carol's struggle for meaningful engagement and self-expression resonates with readers, making this work a cornerstone of American literature. The novel established Sinclair Lewis as a leading social critic and earned him enduring recognition for his sharp insight into human behavior and the complexities of modern life.

Dodsworth (1929) is a compelling novel by Sinclair Lewis, the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. This illustrated edition brings fresh life to one of Lewis's most insightful and poignant works. The story follows Samuel Dodsworth, a successful American automobile executive, as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery through Europe alongside his restless and status-driven wife, Fran. As the couple navigates foreign cities and cultures, their differing values come to the surface. Fran craves social prestige and romantic excitement, while Sam searches for meaning and authenticity beyond material success. Lewis brilliantly uses the European backdrop to contrast American provincialism and modern existential disillusionment. Through Sam's evolving worldview, Lewis critiques both the glitter of post-war European sophistication and the emptiness of consumer-driven American values. With sharply drawn characters and vivid cultural observations, Dodsworth explores themes of aging, identity, marriage, and the price of progress. It is a deeply human novel, balancing satire with genuine emotional insight. Sam's transformation from a pragmatic businessman into a man forced to reevaluate everything he thought he knew about life and love remains profoundly relevant. This classic remains one of Lewis's finest and most mature works-a nuanced portrait of the American abroad, and a meditation on the pursuit of personal fulfillment. The illustrated edition enhances the reading experience, offering visual context to the narrative's elegant European settings and emotional terrain.

Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here is a chilling political satire and dystopian novel that remains startlingly relevant decades after its initial publication in 1935. In this illustrated edition, Lewis's prescient tale is brought to life with visual depth, enhancing the reader's engagement with a cautionary vision of democracy under siege. The novel follows Doremus Jessup, a small-town newspaper editor in Vermont, as he witnesses the rise of Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip, a populist demagogue who wins the U.S. presidency on promises of economic reform, nationalism, and traditional values. Once in power, Windrip dismantles democratic institutions and establishes a fascist regime, supported by a paramilitary force known as the Minute Men. As civil liberties vanish, Jessup is forced to confront the cost of passivity and the urgency of resistance. Lewis wrote It Can't Happen Here in response to the rise of authoritarian movements in Europe and the growing threat of fascism worldwide. But the novel's power lies in its portrayal of how tyranny can take root not just in far-off dictatorships but right at home, through manipulation, fear, and political apathy. The novel is not only a political warning but also a deeply human story of courage, fear, and the resilience of conscience. Jessup's moral evolution reminds us that the defense of democracy depends on ordinary people making extraordinary choices. This illustrated edition of It Can't Happen Here invites readers to rediscover a classic work whose message has only gained urgency in modern times-reminding us that freedom is never guaranteed, and vigilance is always necessary.

Sinclair Lewis's The Man Who Knew Coolidge (1928) is a sharp, satirical novel that departs from his more traditional narratives and presents a monologue-style comedy filled with irony, delusion, and subtle critique of American middle-class values in the 1920s. Told entirely through the rambling voice of Lowell Schmaltz, a traveling salesman who believes himself to be both insightful and important, the novel unfolds as a one-man performance that is both humorous and unsettling. Schmaltz claims to have once met President Calvin Coolidge, a supposed brush with greatness that becomes the basis for a series of exaggerated anecdotes and moralizing reflections on business, politics, marriage, and ambition. His monologues, layered with contradictions and self-deceptions, offer a biting portrait of the American everyman-earnest yet oblivious, proud yet insecure. What makes the novel especially unique is its structure: six extended monologues, delivered in a conversational tone, as if the reader were seated across from Schmaltz in a train compartment or hotel lobby. Through this device, Lewis cleverly dissects the culture of boosterism, self-promotion, and the hollow pursuit of the American Dream. Far from being merely comic, The Man Who Knew Coolidge is a study in character psychology and national identity. Lewis, the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, once again proves his talent for portraying flawed yet deeply human characters with critical wit. This lesser-known novel remains a fascinating and underrated example of 20th-century American satire.

Harry Sinclair Lewis (February 7, 1885 - January 10, 1951) was an American writer and playwright. In 1930, he became the first writer from the United States (and the first from the Americas) to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, which was awarded "for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humor, new types of characters." He is best known for his novels Main Street (1920), Babbitt (1922), Arrowsmith (1925), Elmer Gantry (1927). In 1930 Lewis won the Nobel Prize in Literature, the first writer from the United States to receive the award, after he had been nominated by Henrik Schück, member of the Swedish Academy. In the academy's presentation speech, special attention was paid to Babbitt. In his Nobel Lecture, Lewis praised Theodore Dreiser, Willa Cather, Ernest Hemingway, and other contemporaries, but also lamented that "in America most of us - not readers alone, but even writers - are still afraid of any literature which is not a glorification of everything American, a glorification of our faults as well as our virtues," and that America is "the most contradictory, the most depressing, the most stirring, of any land in the world today." He also offered a profound criticism of the American literary establishment: "Our American professors like their literature clear and cold and pure and very dead." CONTENTS: Our Mr. Wrenn (1914) The Trail of the Hawk (1915) The Job (1917) The Innocents (1917) Free Air (1919) Main Street (1920) Babbitt (1922) Arrowsmith (1925) Mantrap (1926) Elmer Gantry (1927)

`Main Street' is the novel accredited with launching Sinclair's trailblazing career. Unlike his contemporaries Hemingway and Fitzgerald, Sinclair chooses to focus on middle America, the rural Midwest, rather than the upper crusts of New York and Paris. We follow a young, idealistic woman as she desperately tries to implement her grand plans to change her small town for the better. The novel teems with life, offering a view in to the very soul of America, the death of its healthy curiosity, and its desire to see the bigger picture. It is an entertaining and haunting novel that is built upon characters with incredible depth. There are no over-arching protagonists; they are all painfully, beautifully human. If you loved James Dean's `Rebel without a Cause', you will love this classic. Harry Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951) was an American author and playwright. A Yale graduate, Lewis was the first American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1930. He became renowned for his biting critiques and satire of American capitalism and materialism in the inter-war years. Additionally, he is remembered for his strong characterisations of modern working women in his novels. His most notable works include ´The Trail of the Hawk´, ´Main Street´, ´Free Air´, and ´Babbitt´.

Elmer Gantry (1927) is a satirical indictment of fundamentalist and evangelistic religion that caused a great scandal when it was first published. It was written by Nobel Prize winning American author and playwright Henry Sinclair Lewis. Regarded as a landmark in American literature, `Elmer Gantry' is a piercing portrait of a smooth-talking evangelist who rises to power within his church. But Elmer Gantry is a hypocrite and a philanderer, and his self-indulgent ways threaten to destroy everything. The book was adapted into a 1960 film starring Burt Lancaster and Jean Simmons. Harry Sinclair Lewis (1885 - 1951) was an American writer, playwright and social critic, who revolutionised writing in the U.S. In 1930, he became the first writer from the United States to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. Lewis is best known for his novels Main Street (1920), Babbitt (1922), Arrowsmith (1925), Elmer Gantry (1927), Dodsworth (1929), and It Can't Happen Here (1935). Several of his works have been adapted for cinema, most famously the film `Elmer Gantry' (1960) starring Burt Lancaster and Jean Simmons. Lewis's novels are known for their critical views of American capitalism and materialism and their strong characterizations of modern working women.

Arrowsmith, étudiant en médecine, se voue à la recherche fondamentale. Après des années comme médecin de campagne, il aspire à de plus hautes destinées. Il est remarqué par l'industrie pharmaceutique, qui s'intéresse à ses travaux sur le bacille de la peste. Son idéalisme sera mis à rude épreuve... Introuvable, ce roman reparaît 100 ans après le prix Pulitzer qui le récompensa.

Le roman le plus célèbre du prix Nobel de littérature 1930

Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951) "Une rivière roulant lentement des flots limoneux, des saules qui gesticulent dans la tiède atmosphère d'août et quatre enfants qui font les importants, comme il arrive fatalement aux grands hommes eux-mêmes, quatre enfants à la voix perçante, innocents et ardents, ignorant, Dieu merci, qu'à quarante-cinq ans ils connaîtront les compromis et les dégoûts. Les trois garçons, Ben, Dick et Winthrop, ayant subi des leçons d'histoire tout le printemps, cherchaient à en tirer un parti convenable en jouant à « La reine Isabelle et Christophe Colomb ». Tandis qu'ils discutaient pour savoir qui tiendrait le rôle de la femme, une petite fille pénétra en chantant dans ce bouquet de saules jonché de feuilles, vrai paradis pour l'enfance. "Chic, alors ! dit Winthrop, voilà Ann Vickers, elle fera Zabelle." Parcours d'une femme américaine, au début du XXe siècle, depuis son enfance à l'âge adulte. Du statut de jeune fille rebelle à celui de femme active et indépendante, Ann navigue entre ses aspirations professionnelles er ses désirs personnels...

Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951) "Quand le pare-brise était fermé, il était tellement rayé de pluie que Claire avait l'impression de piloter une voiture noyée en de sombres régions sous-marines ; quand il était ouvert, des gouttes lui sautaient dans les yeux et lui glaçaient les joues. Elle s'énervait, tout à fait malheureuse, et se rendait compte que ces routes du Minnesota n'avaient aucun respect pour son expérience des élégantes allées de parc de Long-Island : elle n'était plus qu'une femme et non un chauffeur. Mais la Gomez-Dep était une routière de 70 chevaux et chantait sa chanson. Depuis qu'elle avait quitté Minneapolis rien ne l'avait dépassée. À quelques milles en arrière, un camion avait essayé de la gratter, elle avait grimpé sur un talus, était descendue dans un fossé, revenue sur la route, après quoi le camion n'avait plus existé. Maintenant elle contemplait une vue plus magnifique que celle de montagnes dominant un jardin au bord de la mer ; un morceau de bonne route. À son voyageur, son père, Claire jeta joyeusement : - Admirable ! Un chemin empierré, on va pouvoir marcher... Vivement la prochaine ville pour nous sécher." Claire Boltwood, jeune New-yorkaise, a décidé de conduire en auto son père, à Seattle : une traversée de l'Amérique qui s'avère être une véritable aventure pleine de péripéties ! Lors d'un incident, elle est dépannée par Milt Dagget, un jeune mécanicien possédant son propre garage...

This road trip novel is set in the early twentieth century and follows the experiences of an aristocratic New Englander and her father as they travel by automobile from Minneapolis to Seattle. She is wooed and won by a noble but simple commoner she meets along the way. Lewis is at his usual wryly humorous self, poking fun at the upper class and treating the common people only slightly better.

At thirty-four Mr. Wrenn was the sales-entry clerk of the Souvenir Company. He was always bending over bills and columns of figures at a desk behind the stock-room. He was a meek little bachelor--a person of inconspicuous blue ready-made suits, and a small unsuccessful mustache. Mr. Wrenn, however has a rich inner life embellished by his own imagination. When he comes into a modest inheritance, he feels he ought to learn to get out and wander a bit, and then his education begins. He finds life more "interesting", perhaps than he had "imagined". . .

This 1926 Pulitzer Prize winning novel centers on the title character, a promising medical student who, as a doctor and following several intervening ventures, becomes a medical researcher in New York. A widespread killer plague takes him to a Caribbean island to produce and inject sera and do research. Fascinating characters, some professional, others romantic, impact his life. Striking similarities of the epidemic in this novel to the pandemic of the 2020's may today seem prophetic. The author won the 1930 Nobel Prize in literature, chiefly for "Arrowsmith".

"Mr. and Mrs. Seth Appleby were almost old. They called each other 'Father' and 'Mother.' But frequently they were guilty of holding hands, or of cuddling together in corners, and Father was a person of stubborn youthfulness." It is only by subterfuge that Seth is able every year to obtain his two week's vacation from the shoe store, and they are off to the farm-house of Uncle Joe Tubbs on Cape Cod. But this year the vacation turns into a full blown scheme to open a country tea room somewhere on Cape Cod, and their life suddenly begins to change. . . .

Carol Milford, a college-educated, progressive, ambitious young woman, is self-sufficient working as a librarian in St. Paul, when she meets a country doctor, Will Kennicott, who convinces her to marry him and move to the rural Minnesota town of Gopher Prairie. She arrives with dreams of beautifying the town, of establishing art and culture, of improving lives and promoting child welfare, but whose spirit is gradually and inexorably crushed by small-town attitudes, ignorance and bigotry. First published in 1920, Main Street is Sinclair Lewis' first major novel, and was a phenomenal success at the time. In 1930 Lewis would be the first American to receive the Nobel Prize for literature.

Please note: This audiobook has been created using AI voice. Martin Arrowsmith, the titular protagonist, grows up in a small Midwestern town where he wants to become a doctor. At medical school he meets an abrasive but brilliant professor, Gottlieb, who becomes his mentor. As Arrowsmith completes his training he begins a career practicing medicine. But, echoing Lewis's Main Street, smalltown life becomes too insular and restricting; his interest in research and not people makes him unpopular, and he decides to work in a research laboratory instead. From there Arrowsmith begins a career that hits all of the ethical quandaries that scientists and those in the medical profession encounter: everything from the ethical problem of research protocol strictness versus saving lives, to doing research for the betterment of mankind versus for turning a profit, to the politics of institutions, to the social problems of wealth and poverty. Arrowsmith struggles with these dilemmas because, like all of us, he isn't perfect. Despite his interest in helping humanity, he has little interest in people-aside from his serial womanizing-and this makes the path of his career an even harder one to walk. He's surrounded on all sides by icons of nobility, icons of pride, and icons of rapaciousness, each one distracting him from his calling. Though the book isn't strictly a satire, few escape Lewis's biting pen. He skewers everyone indiscriminately: smalltown rubes, bigcity blowhards, aspiring politicians, doctors of both the noble and greedy variety, hapless ivorytowered researchers, holierthanthou neighbors, tedious gildedage socialites, and even lazy and backwards islanders. In some ways, Arrowsmith rivals Main Street in its oftenbleak view of human nature-though unlike Main Street, the good to humanity that science offers is an ultimate light at the end of the tunnel. The novel's publication in 1925 made it one of the first serious "science" novels, exploring all aspects of the life and career of a modern scientist. Lewis was aided in the novel's preparation by Paul de Kruif, a microbiologist and writer, whose medicallyaccurate contributions greatly enhance the text's realist flavor. In 1926 Arrowsmith was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, but Lewis famously declined it. In his refusal letter, he claimed a disinterest in prizes of any kind; but the New York Times reported that those close to him say he was still angered over the Pulitzer's lastminute snatching of the 1921 prize from Main Street in favor of giving it to The Age of Innocence.

As featured in The Best Short Stories of 1918, The Willow Walk is a trenchant tale of an elaborate heist by a dissolute man who gradually loses his mind in the process. The twist ending also should have won Lewis an O. Henry Award. - Summary by Matt Pierard

"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. Add to Tanis a foray into radical politics, and we are about to whiteness an emotional and financial train wreck with Babbitt at the throttle. This is a long story, but well worth listening to. Human nature hasn't changed much in the last ninety years. Enjoy the novel"