Main Street has been rightfully described as "one of the most merciless novels ever written." This portrayal of small town midwestern America in the early 20th century is indeed harsh, but it fails to capture an essential aspect of Lewis' writing. Lewis has an in-depth understanding of his subject, which makes his words not only merciless but also highly believable. He doesn't limit his criticism to provincial and petty society; he is equally clear about the shortcomings of would-be reformers like Carol Kennicott. In the novel, Carol occupies the position typically held by the heroine, yet there is little heroic about her.

Carol is from the city, educated, and interested in social issues, with a left-leaning political viewpoint compared to the inhabitants of Gopher Prairie, Minnesota. When she marries Dr Will Kennicot from that town, she doesn't fully realize its smallness due to his enthusiastic endorsements. Upon arriving, she is determined to bring it into the 20th century, spread cultural enlightenment, and change its deep-rooted attitudes. However, as each of her schemes proves to be hopelessly impractical or simply annoys the locals, she abandons it for a new enthusiasm. She is laughable, and what she attempts to change is equally absurd. For instance, there is a hilarious scene where Carol attends a meeting of the town ladies, expecting them to start a course on English literature, only to discover that by the end of the evening, they believe they know all there is to know and should know about the subject, so they can move on to a new topic the next week. Part of her problem is that she wants to fit in and be accepted while also radically changing things. But the main reason she gets nowhere is the way one new enthusiasm after another takes hold of her.

The characterisation in Main Street is excellent and is mainly intended to paint a rather bleak picture of Gopher Prairie. There is nothing gentle about this novel; it is a portrait based on real understanding and real hatred.

I wholeheartedly applaud what the protagonist, Carol Kennicott, learns from an unnamed suffragette in chapter 38, section VIII. The idea is that if one wants to change their social environment, the best thing to do is to keep on looking at one thing after another in their home, church, and bank. And then ask why it is the way it is and who first laid down the law that it had to be that way. Also, ask people to define their jobs. As the suffragette says, “That’s the most dangerous doctrine I know.”

We should all follow this example. When Carol applies this doctrine to herself, she realizes that after all her grand plans to revitalize Gopher Prairie, “she still had no plan in life”—only vague ideals.

However, one might wonder if Sinclair Lewis goes a bit too far in his accumulation of evidence regarding Gopher Prairie’s problems and Carol’s inability to address them effectively. And do the goals of a social historian and a novelist sometimes conflict? I believe they do, which is why I deducted one star. Nevertheless, it is still an impressive and moving naturalistic novel.

It is extremely unusual for me not to be able to get through something. However, I found these characters SO IRRITATING!

My stepfather was in love with the kind of small towns depicted in this book, and I can understand their charm. But there was just something about this book that rubbed me the wrong way.

At the time, it was revolutionary. It was an expose of the way small towns operated, counteracting the romantic idea that they were pure and untouched by the meanness of the world. But Lewis writes from an attitude of supposed worldliness, which I find very pretentious and actually fake. His own provinciality is all over this book.

Anyway, I read about two-thirds of it (Samuel Johnson never finished books). So I thought I would include it for variety. It's not that the book is without merit. There are some interesting insights and descriptions. But overall, it just didn't click with me. Maybe it's because I have a different perspective on small towns or because I'm not a fan of Lewis's writing style. In any case, it's an experience that I'll remember.

This book narrowly misses one star for me.

The writing is truly quite good. However, when it comes to content, I found this novel to be dated and, quite frankly, a waste of time.

There is no doubt that Sinclair Lewis spent a great deal of time creating an ideal female lead. But I often found myself pondering if he truly understood what it was like to be a woman at the turn of the century or if he was basing much of the experience on generalizations.

Carol is an optimistic heroine whom we watch get systematically destroyed and eventually settle happily into mediocrity. I was disappointed and frustrated with Carol, who acted as if she would be a strong independent character but who continuously gave up after any form of setback.

We see Carol get absorbed into the small town, and we realize that the character is inherently shallow despite all her talk and disdain. When her best friend dies of preventable Typhoid and “the Red Swede” is exiled, she merely exhibits anger and frustration, and nothing else occurs. She seems to forgive the town too easily, and the ultimate ending reveals where her true allegiance lies, which makes me wonder what the point of reading any of this is anymore.

Overall, I was unimpressed with the plot of this novel. After reading 50%, I realized there would be no significant plot developments.

Of course, there are arguments that can be made in favor of the novel. It does capture small town life to some extent, and I think it’s a relatable portrayal of this social dynamic. Perhaps it is more true to real life, and that is supposed to be the “art” of the novel. But this is not compensated for by brilliant prose that leaves the reader completely satisfied. Lewis’s prose is good, but it is not memorable in the way of, say, Woolf, Lawrence, or James.

In addition, Carol begins to systematically refer to everything that is bad about the town as “Main Street,” which I found to be an annoying overuse of the title in a way that was not symbolically powerful.

Lewis writes the entire novel from Carol’s perspective, with the exception of three small chapters from Bea, Vida, and Kennicott’s perspectives. These chapters were so insignificant to the overall novel, and the change of perspective was so underused that it was just an awkward interlude. It felt to me that these were added on after the novel was completed because an editor needed to understand the mindset of Vida and Kennicott for dialogue purposes, and that Bea’s was thrown in just to start a “trend.” It just seemed sloppy.

So, it didn’t work for me. I recognize that the novel may have been very powerful at the time it was released, but I believe it is dated and doesn’t deserve to be considered a Modern Classic. However, I understand how, on merit and historical importance, the novel is on the Modern Library top 100 list. I would not recommend this to anyone who is not working through that list like I am. There are simply too many other great novels that capture the same themes as this novel and do it with much better plots and characters.

A satire isn't necessarily funny or lighthearted. Critical--yes. Pessimistic--yes.

Main Street is just that book. The author mercilessly ridicules the characters within its pages. They are presented with all their vices on full display, and from the very beginning to the very end, they show no sign of improvement or any inclination to change their deeply ingrained points of view.

However, despite its rather dour and unforgiving nature, there is a certain allure to this kind of sarcasm. Sometimes, we all find ourselves enjoying a bit of pointed criticism, a dose of reality-checking through the lens of satire. And I, for one, did find myself engaged and entertained by the biting commentary in Main Street.

It makes us think about the flaws and follies of society, and perhaps even forces us to confront our own shortcomings. In a strange way, it can be a cathartic experience, allowing us to laugh at the absurdities of the world while also being made aware of the need for change.

So, while a satire may not always be a barrel of laughs, it can still have a profound impact on our understanding of the human condition.

Main Street (1920) by Sinclair Lewis (1885 - 1951)

Although the name Sinclair Lewis might not carry significant weight in the present day, a century ago, he was regarded as a budding star in American literature.

Main Street, though not his debut novel, was the work that catapulted him to fame and ultimately led to him receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature, becoming the first American to achieve this honor.

This book offers Lewis's perspective on a fictional small town in Minnesota. However, as he himself states, this tale could just as easily unfold in states like Ohio or Montana, Kansas or Kentucky.

It delves into his complex love-hate relationship with such towns, exploring the idiosyncrasies, the charm, and the limitations that are inherent in small-town life.

Lewis's vivid descriptions and keen insights bring this fictional town to life, allowing readers to experience its joys and frustrations along with the characters.

Main Street remains a significant work in American literature, providing a timeless exploration of the American small town and the people who inhabit it.

3 1/2 Stars

This book is rather a confusing one. Even though it is a novel, Lewis offers a sociological dissertation on small town rural life in Minnesota at the turn of the 19th century.

It provides a very interesting examination of how society has evolved. From sexism that was beyond my comprehension to extremely hardcore Christian prejudice, Lewis expounds on these aspects very well. All of these socially uncomfortable situations are witnessed through the eyes of Carol, who is a dreamer and a progressive. She is constantly looking beyond the happenings in her surroundings to discover something better.

In the beginning, it is a very slow read, but it does improve towards the end.

There are no recommendations as it is just a confusing book.

I set a goal to read at least one classic book each month. This was my choice for July, as it neatly overlapped with my research interests in the period.

Carol, a liberal and proudly-literate young woman from Minneapolis, marries a doctor and finds herself in the small town of Gopher Prairie. She dreams of reforming and enlightening the entire town, even going so far as to envision razing Main Street and rebuilding it in a Georgian style. However, her youthful naivete is quickly shattered when she realizes that the well-established cliques in town have no desire for change. Time and again, she attempts to make friends and break free from the mind-numbing boredom of being a doctor's wife in a small town, where she is expected to be content with a life of comfort and not strain her body or mind. Unfortunately, she fails repeatedly, becoming increasingly dissatisfied with her marriage and everything that Main Street represents.

My goodness, but Lewis can write! His Babbit made an impression on me, but Main Street delves even deeper into the psychology of a small town. He showcases the full spectrum of personalities, the social stratification, and the petty, yet horrible, gossip that serves as the primary pastime for many. What's more, he delves deep into Carol's psyche. He truly understands what it feels like to be a woman trapped at home, bored out of her mind, and afraid of being condemned to a life of lonely despair. Many modern male writers struggle to do justice to this kind of despair, but Lewis managed to do so, and in the 1920s no less! I also appreciate how his nuanced portrayal doesn't turn Carol into a martyr (although she does feel that way at times). Quite often, Carol brings trouble upon herself, but by maintaining the point of view with her for the majority of the time, we can still empathize with her (even if we sometimes want to give her a good slap).

The book also functions as a camera, capturing life in a small town on the Minnesota prairie during the 1920s. This includes moments of camaraderie, but it also exposes blatant sexism and racism. While minstrel shows and playing at being Chinese are briefly mentioned, the most overt racism is the social and racial divide between the Anglo-Saxon town elite and the Nordic and Germanic people who make up the common laborers and farmers. Carol, driven by her deep loneliness, is the only one willing to cross those lines and befriend 'the help,' but sadly, this only perpetuates the cycle for her. Her attempts to stand up for the newly-arrived artistic sissy, who is derided by the macho men of the town and called by a woman's name, also end in failure.

This is truly a masterful work, a rare classic that stands the test of time due to the skill of its writing. I don't typically enjoy literary fiction, and many of the subjects explored here would have made me stop reading other books immediately. But Lewis handled everything with such a deft touch that I found myself on the edge of my seat at times, just as I might when reading a modern thriller. Of course, other readers may not have the same experience, but I strongly identified with Carol in her isolation, which made this a surprisingly quick read for me.

"Marry in haste - repent at leisure."

Carol Milford has college dreams of transforming an ugly prairie town into a thriving place of beauty with a village green, darling cottages, and a quaint Main Street. However, when she marries Gopher Prairie doctor, Will Kennicott, who encourages her ambitions during courtship, she finds reality is too harsh for her. An interesting scene occurs in Chapter IV when Carol wanders around the town, completely dispirited by the dirt and uncouthness, while for Bea Sorenson, who has just left her town of 167 inhabitants, it represents fairyland.

In Gopher Prairie, the American Dream is topsy-turvy. The townspeople believe it is the best little town in the state, with everyone equal and having a fair chance. But upon closer inspection, Carol discovers there are more dos and don'ts than in St. Paul where she came from. She can't visit stores that support rival doctors, and her conversation and friendliness are misinterpreted as "high and mighty." She finally makes friends with a new couple in town, only to be told by a horrified Will that they are associated with a rival doctor, so their friendship is off-limits. Throughout the book, they are never accepted into the smart set and remain on the outskirts of the town's best society. The only person who seems to truly understand the town and its idiosyncrasies is "Red Swede," a Scandinavian handyman and the town pariah. Despite his rude and shabby hut, he has more learning than the entire town combined.

As Sinclair Lewis describes it, mediocrity prevails in the town because high achievers and those desiring real competition don't stay in Gopher Prairie. Carol is not without prejudice herself. She is a snob who often reminds herself that her father was a judge and Will is a doctor, wondering what she is doing talking to "these" people. She can't quite bring herself to eat with the hired help in the kitchen, even though Bea is her truest friend. When Bea marries Miles, Carol has to ensure no one sees her before she enters their house for a visit. And when she meets kindred spirit Erik Valbourg and almost renounces her husband and child for him, a gentle reminder of the shabby poverty that would follow is enough for Carol to completely reject him.

When I first read this book, expecting a big bang due to its over 500 pages, it instead ambled along. Now, I realize it is an incisive and biting episodic narrative into the stifling confines of how Lewis viewed small town life. Carol starts a dramatic society, hoping to bring culture to Gopher Prairie, but no one is interested in Shaw or Ibsen. They all vote for "The Girl From Kankakee," which in Carol's eyes is a disaster. Lewis also explains the intriguing Chautauqua Lecture Tours that flourished in the early 20th century, as they attempted to bring culture and university-style lectures to small town America. He also mourned the loss of the unique culture of Scandinavian farmers and women as they strove to adopt American ways.

One minus is that when Carol flees to the big city, she takes her child Hugh with her. However, a short conversation in the train reveals that he would have been much happier staying in Gopher Prairie with the busybody Aunt Bessie. Hugh is completely forgotten as Carol immerses herself in social intrigue, suffrage, and the mundane life of a working girl.

I can't remember where I bought my copy. I think it was from "The White Elephant" store in Chatswood, Sydney, ages ago. Is it still there? Probably not. It was published by Grossett and Dunlap and designed to tie in with the 1922 Warner Bros. "Screen Classic" starring Monte Blue as Dr. Kennicott and the beautiful Florence Vidor as Carol. There are photos scattered throughout the book.

Crusading against mundanity

Sinclair Lewis’s 1920 novel, ‘Main Street’, was a revolutionary work that exposed the complacency and conformity of small-town life. At a time when many people craved certainty and security, Lewis blew the lid off this idyllic facade. He based the fictional town of Gopher Prairie, Minnesota, on his own hometown of Sauk Center. Initially, the locals were proud of their native son, but their pride turned to discomfort when they recognized too many familiar characters in the novel, thinly fictionalized in some cases.

Lewis examines the town through the eyes of an outsider, Carol Milford. A beautiful and idealistic young woman, Carol is trained as a librarian and works in St. Paul. She meets and marries a young doctor, Will Kennicott, who convinces her to move with him to his hometown of Gopher Prairie. Will believes that Carol will bring some much-needed excitement and change to the staid customs of the town. However, as Carol gets to know the town and its people, she feels increasingly isolated and alienated.

Almost everyone she meets seems to suffer from what she calls the “Village Virus” – a narrow-mindedness and complacency that she finds suffocating. While Will thrives in his role as the trusted family doctor, Carol searches for someone, anyone, in the town who shares her interest in culture and ideas. She joins some social and cultural groups, but is disappointed to find that they are more interested in gossip and small talk than in serious discussion. She tries to introduce them to more intellectual pursuits, but her efforts are met with resistance and ridicule.

Carol’s dissatisfaction with her life in Gopher Prairie leads her to have an affair with a handsome young tailor named Erik Valborg. However, when the affair is discovered, she realizes that she still loves her husband and decides to end things with Erik. After a series of events, including a trip to California and a stint working in Washington, D.C., Carol returns to Gopher Prairie with a new perspective. She realizes that she cannot change the town overnight, but that she can make a difference by relating to the people on a more personal level and by asking questions in a more friendly and approachable way.

Lewis’s portrayal of the characters and events in ‘Main Street’ is both satirical and nuanced. He presents a scathing indictment of small-town life, while also showing the complex and conflicted emotions of his characters. The novel is a powerful reminder that change is often slow and difficult, but that it is possible if we are willing to look beyond our own narrow perspectives and reach out to others.

The story of Main Street in Gopher Prairie, MN, USA is not simply about one street in one town of one state in one nation.

It represents the tale of every small town across the country and every village in the world.

The story is centered around Carol, but there are countless others like her, and also many Sam Clarks.

Main St, especially as the novel progresses, comes to signify not just a physical place but an attitude, a narrow mindset that is selfish, solipsistic, crass, callous, low, base, simplistic, intolerant, ignorant, and inhumane.

It is a scathing critique of the dullness of small town life.

Dr. Will Kennicott, Mrs. Vida Sherwin, Ms. Bogart, and the rest of the people in GP are not individually evil.

Carol is not an obvious heroine. She is incredibly naive and capricious, yet genuine with what some might call a "good heart."

Lewis doesn't shy away from closely examining either her or the conventional townsfolk.

Overall, the people of GP try to be helpful and kind, as long as the recipient is similar to them.

Published in 1920, a century of events has passed, but Main Street is still a great novel that belongs on the list of timeless stories.

When the locals start whispering about a new boy they call "Elizabeth" who wears fancy clothes and is a tailor, one wonders if he might be gay.

But he is not even effeminate, just "artsy," liking poetry, reading many books, enjoying working with fabrics and sketching.

However, Main Street in Gopher Prairie is not very interested in art, unless it has a positive message for the youth.

Pep, vigor, punch, good business sense, and work ethic are the qualities of a leader and a respected man or woman on Main Street.

Industry is favored over creativity.

When it comes to American literature, we often hear of Poe, Whitman, Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Faulkner.

For some reason, one has to dig a little to discover Sinclair Lewis, even though he was the first American to win the Nobel Prize for literature.

I was first attracted to him when I came across some of his insightful quotes.

As all good literature is philosophical, and vice versa, Lewis saw the world through the eyes of an imaginative sage.

Anyone who has lived in a small town, whether born and raised there or not, should fully understand the message.

Though Lewis uses detailed descriptions rather than direct polemics, and by today's standards his criticisms are subtle, he is clear.

There will always be those who hold back progress and cling to the familiar, those who cherish the old ways, regardless of whether they were the best.

They are "Main Street."

They gave Socrates the hemlock cocktail, justified slavery, burned heretics, and held that the earth was the center of the universe.

Main Street has committed genocides, spurred the Crusades, financed the Inquisition, and preyed on aboriginal peoples.

They don't believe the LGBT community should have the same rights as "traditional" families.

One might even say Main St. is as strong as ever.

Those within its enclave are currently supporting a new wave of open nationalism.

They don't believe healthcare is a human right while claiming to be "Christian."

They want to privatize everything, including healthcare, criminal justice, education, and social security, and build walls to divide nations and people.

They will always be here, and they must be constantly resisted, battled, and even attacked (at least with words) by the thinkers, by those with the gift of sight, like Sinclair Lewis, Erik Valborg, Carol Kennicott, an artist, and hopefully, you and me.

The action of this more than 400-page pavement occurs before and shortly after the First World War. It is set in a small town in Minnesota named Gopher Prairie. One might assume that Sinclair Lewis has incorporated a great deal of his native background here.

For his people and Dr. William Kennicott, when he describes it to Carol Milford, whom he met in St. Paul, Illinois, and dreams of marrying, Gopher Prairie is the most beautiful city in the world. It is a whole, deep city, brightly colored, carefully maintained, and populated by a small, lively, cultivated, and warm-hearted community.

When Carol, now Mrs. Kennicott, arrives in Gopher Prairie after their honeymoon in Colorado, she endeavors to view the city as her husband has presented it to her and as he perceives it.

However, Carol is both anti-conformist by nature and romantic. She imagines that good intentions, new ideas, a touch of youth, and boundless goodwill will overcome the prejudices and laziness of this small town where the sidewalks along the "high street" are still made of wood, as in the days of the pioneers. Despite her initial horror, she is ready to love Gopher Prairie and prepared to sympathize sincerely with its inhabitants. But she will soon realize that all this is more difficult than anticipated; good intentions are insufficient when they clash with conformism and deeply ingrained mindsets.

Sinclair Lewis portrays a rigid and unyielding American society in a tongue-in-cheek manner, enabling the reader to maintain a critical distance - sometimes perhaps too much. He was born there, lived there, and yet, somewhere, he remains attached. But as the saying goes, "Who likes to be chastised well?"

Here are the pillars of the significant relationship between money and social success already held by the Americans of that era: worship of a single Bible and only one church, fear and contempt for the old continent. The pioneers came from the terrifying empire of "what do we say" (not specific, it is true, in small US cities) and a macho and patriarchal world view to which Carol will ultimately, albeit reluctantly, submit.

It should be noted that, from the outset, Lewis posits as a principle that Carol's sex is an additional burden in the fight she intends to undertake.