Babbitt by sinclair lewis

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

I don't think there was anyone in the 1920s who would have believed that this book would be completely forgotten.

By all accounts, it was destined to be a classic critical novel of the American experience. You can't read anything about the '20s and '30s that doesn't comment on Babbitt (sold 130,000 copies its first year, HL Mecken loved it, it won Lewis a Nobel Prize). Calling someone a "Babbitt" was considered an insult and the phrase became a constant topic of conversation in the media and literature.

Yet, here we are 80 years later, and you've probably never heard of the term or the book. Even English and history teachers pretend it doesn't exist. I don't know why, it's insightful and funny. Perhaps it's because the biting satire of American suburban middle class life cuts deeper now than it did then. We prefer the glamour of Fitzgerald's jazz age to the notion that "the American Dream" is more often pursued and achieved with painful earnestness by unaware buffoons than anyone else.

The book is a little tough to get into at first because of the '20s style newspaper-speak, but get through it--it's worth it. It doesn't matter if the book is old or out of style, at its core it's about the fight against conformity and a critique of what Thoreau called the "life of quiet desperation."

It's as timely as ever, as far as I'm concerned. We live in a world where conformity still prevails in many aspects. People are often pressured to fit into certain molds and follow the crowd. Babbitt's story serves as a reminder that we should not blindly conform but rather think for ourselves and pursue our true passions. The book's critique of the "life of quiet desperation" is also relevant today. Many people are trapped in unfulfilling jobs and lives, longing for something more. Babbitt's struggle to break free from the monotony and find meaning in his life can resonate with readers even in the 21st century.

In conclusion, although Babbitt may have been forgotten by many, it is a book that deserves to be rediscovered. Its insights and humor make it a valuable read, and its message is as timely as ever. We should not let this classic critical novel fade into obscurity but rather embrace it and learn from it.

0 0 Reply

Devinitas

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

Clearly, Babbitt should be regarded as a scathing criticism of conformity, consumerism, and materialism.

Ask yourself, in today's society, is there anyone who would oppose such a critique? I have no objections to the message it conveys, although it may not be groundbreaking news in the present day.

However, in order to fully understand the message, readers must invest time in getting to know George F. Babbitt, and that time spent with him is \n far from\n pleasant.

This book gave birth to a new word - babbitt. A babbitt is defined as a materialistic, self-satisfied, and conformist businessman.

In this book, we accompany George F. Babbitt for two years. He resides in the fictional midwestern town of Zenith. At the beginning, he is forty-six years old, married, and has three children, aged twenty-two, seventeen, and ten.

One could easily categorize this book as simply being about a man's midlife crisis, which I find rather tiresome. It's a theme that has been explored before.

One might also argue that it is a critique of the American Dream. Published in 1922, the time was ripe for such disillusionment.

The book is inundated with details, often tedious ones about the most insignificant of things. Remember, the book is a critique of materialism. I'm simply not captivated by a description of office water fountains, no matter how new and gleaming they are, or a modern high-tech alarm clock beside Babbitt's bed, or the expensive cigar lighter he splurges on for his car. He repeatedly tells himself and us that he's not going to smoke anymore! Much of the content is repetitive, and the conversations are empty. In fact, they are supposed to be empty; that's the whole point. The book is a critique of the middle-class life that Babbitt and those around him were leading. You could say that the book accomplishes its intended purpose perhaps a little too well. Listening to the empty drivel can be nauseating.

On top of the excessive detail and the empty talk, one must also endure George Babbitt, who is so incredibly full of himself that I personally wanted to strangle him.

Now, I hope you understand why I dislike this book so much, despite the fact that it relays a valid message.

There isn't a single character to admire. They all made me feel sick. The women are as empty-headed as the men. At one point, Babbitt has misgivings about the life he is leading. This made me happy - I was happy because he was unhappy. Isn't that crazy?

The only thing that haunts me is that since the book manages to annoy me to such a great extent, it has obviously succeeded in getting its message across.

The audiobook is narrated by Grover Gardener. He conveys the book's message extremely well. His narration is a perfect fit for the book. I have given his narration five stars.

***********************

*Main Street 3 stars

*Arrowsmith 2 stars

*Babbitt 1 star

*Elmer Gantry not-for-me

*It Can't Happen Here not-for-me

0 0 Reply

The_Syekh

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

At first, I read with great enthusiasm. However, as I continued, my enthusiasm waned due to the lack of a plot. Instead, it was filled with numerous social gatherings, vacations, and the existential problems of Babbitt, a middle-class American who is self-absorbed and whose life goal is to project an image of perfection to others. It's really quite dull.

_____________

Nobel Prize in Literature 1930

Sinclair Lewis was born in the United States on February 7, 1885 and died in Italy on January 10, 1951.

Lewis was a prominent American writer known for his satirical and critical works that often explored the flaws and hypocrisies of American society. His writing style was vivid and engaging, although in the case of this particular work, the lack of a strong plot did make it a bit tiresome to read. Despite this, his contributions to literature are significant and his works continue to be studied and analyzed today.

0 0 Reply

Denvir

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

The novel "Babbitt" was published in 1922 by the American writer Sinclair Lewis, who won the Nobel Prize.

The story revolves around George Babbitt, a prominent real estate broker belonging to the middle class in the city of "Zenith". He spends his life searching for himself and his desires that have been deprived of him by that dull and monotonous life.

The writer Lewis was able to use the character of Babbitt as a means of criticism and satire to condemn what the American society was going through at that time of hypocrisy, flattery, and a fierce struggle between its different classes, in a literary style that is often sarcastic.

Although Babbitt longs for freedom and constantly searches for it, he does not find a way to achieve what he desires, as everything seems to go against him. Everything keeps him hostage to this society!

I also liked the writer's smooth and elegant style. This may be one of the reasons that made me like the character of Babbitt in the end. This man was not as bad as some of his fellow citizens thought. I saw in him the desire that affects all of us, the desire that leads us to liberation from all the restrictions of these suffocating societies.

The novel is enjoyable despite the moments of boredom that accompanied me in the middle of it.

It is also sad to know that the writer Sinclair Lewis died in 1951 due to his addiction to alcohol!

0 0 Reply

Complax

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

Babbitt always receives constant admiration for his personality and the wonders of his ideas. He believes that the real estate agent is superior to the writer and the university professor. Because Lebanon is the first in building any civilized society. He contemplates the height of the buildings and the reflection of the sun's rays on them like concrete trees filling his spiritual void. However, this void requires more than his material privileges. He finds his confusion in the company of the gang and the drinking parties. His wife is present only in his shadow because she is more submissive than Babbitt. Her pregnancy was the only spiritual event that brought together the various aspects of Babbitt and returned him to the family and work order.

The delicious satire of Sinclair Lewis appears in the details of Babbitt's life and his deep relationships with the material. There is a scene where Babbitt goes to the church and finds the priest in a hurry to attend a meeting with a community delegation (do not make fun of the prohibition of alcohol) and another with (the union against the organization of birth control). But he prays for him for five minutes and quickly intones in his voice (the ceremonious roughness and the flattering voice that drags when it comes to sins and addressing God), meaning a material humility that did not rise for our friend Babbitt.

Lewis attacks hypocrisy and the trade in religion in the novel Elmer Gantry, which sparked a wide debate about it. Unfortunately, it has not been translated into Arabic yet. If the Al-Tanwir Publishing House would honor us with its translation along with the vigilant Harth who created the translation of Babbitt, we would be grateful.

Reading Babbitt is an invitation to smile - laugh at the abundance of imagination - and satire of our material life despite the time difference between us and Babbitt Sinclair Lewis.

0 0 Reply

blutonato

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

Babbitt is a fierce satire of right-center America written by a left-center intellectual for a left-center audience. Erik Axel Karfeldt, in his presentation speech, mentioned Babbitt as one of the books upon which the Nobel Academy based its decision to award the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1933 to Sinclair Lewis. The Nobel Academy did well because Lewis's work, and especially Babbitt, expresses a viewpoint that continues to dominate the partisans of the Democratic Party to this day.

Babbitt had an enormous bookstore success during the twenties and thirties, but it lost its audience after World War II. The problem is that the clichés of Babbitt have become ubiquitous in American culture. They were found in soap operas and in Hollywood films. Stand-up comedians constantly used them. Because people saw the elements everywhere, at a certain point, the American public stopped reading Babbitt. However, the stereotypes and commonplaces of this novel have not disappeared. I highly recommend Babbitt to all those who want to well understand the political and social debates of contemporary America.

In conclusion, Babbitt remains a significant work that offers valuable insights into American society and culture. Despite its changing popularity over the years, its themes and ideas continue to resonate and are relevant in understanding the complex issues of today's America. Whether you are interested in literature, politics, or social commentary, Babbitt is a book that is well worth reading.

0 0 Reply

KawaiiObsessive

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

4.5/5

You have achieved success, but perhaps not in the way you had hoped. Your influence is widespread. Your wife and children are your responsibilities. Business is progressing slowly but surely. Success and you are walking hand in hand. In short, there is no "problem" in your life. But the absence of problems is the big problem. One day, everything seems worthless to you. The office doesn't seem good, parties don't seem good, and the presence of your wife and children is no longer bearable. There is nothing, there is nothing!! All thoughts, all times of prayer, seem empty! Empty??
Congratulations, the midlife crisis has begun for you. You have become bored. You want to reject society. You want to be a hero, a lover, a leader (something that can fill the void). What can you give at first? As much as there is strength in the heart, one can stand against the current. Do you have that much strength? The most important thing is, is your consciousness and belief really your own? Based on this, "Babbit." Like Babbit, a repulsive person also becomes a part of society and the times, with the charm of Sinclair Lewis' sweet prose. The ending is amazingly beautiful! After reading this book, I officially joined the Lewis fan club.

(July 15, 2022)

0 0 Reply

Varrick_King

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

"Babbitt" by Sinclair Lewis presents a vivid portrayal of the Midwestern business class in the 1920s. While the vocabulary may seem dated, the book's themes remain strikingly relevant. It is astonishing to observe that the attitudes of the social class Lewis focuses on have changed little since 1922.

The story is set in the fictional city of Zenith, where George Babbitt appears to have a perfect life. However, beneath the surface, he is dissatisfied and lonely, questioning the conformity, consumerism, and competitiveness of his community. His search for meaning leads him to experiment with liberal politics and a relationship with a widow, but he soon discovers the high cost of rebellion.

Lewis writes from the perspective of his characters, skillfully revealing their ugly prejudices and narrow-mindedness. The main characters are trapped in an echo chamber of self-righteousness, adhering to a lockstep conservative conventionality. They display blatant racism, anti-Semitism, and a disdain for the working class and unions. Women are either dull housewives or seen as immoral. Elite educations are regarded with suspicion, and those who return from Europe are thought to be influenced by "effeminate" European culture.

The pressure to conform is enforced through the threat of social ostracism and loss of financial opportunities. Success in business is equated with acceptance into the male-dominated clubs. But will Babbitt be able to break free from the constraints of his narrow perspective? The novel explores similar themes as "Appointment in Samarra" and "Jude the Obscure," highlighting the challenges of fitting into a society that values conformity over individuality. Can one file down the edges of their true self to fit in, or will the cost be too great? Moving between social classes is often fraught with difficulties, and the use of prejudice and power to unjustly destroy those who attempt to leave a group is a harsh reality.

0 0 Reply

Leave a Review

You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.

Babbitt

sinclair lewis

This edition

More editions

About the author

sinclair lewis

Readers also enjoyed

Community Reviews