Arrowsmith

Small town doctor scales the heights of the scientific community. Pulitzer Prize winner. This remarkable individual has achieved great feats in the scientific realm, defying expectations and rising above the limitations of a small town. The journey has been filled with challenges and perseverance, but through it all, the doctor has emerged victorious.

And then there's also the interesting aspect that they could rock, but they couldn't spell. This lighthearted comment adds a touch of humor to the narrative. It shows that even in the midst of great achievements, there are still areas where one can improve.

Update: I'm abashed to say now that I will need to reacquire the book, since, having read Main Street, I hope to read/re-read all his best novels, of which Arrowsmith is one. The author's admission of needing to reacquire the book highlights the importance and impact that these novels have had on them. It also shows a sense of curiosity and a desire to explore more of the author's works.

I am sorry to admit that this is one of the three books I've read by Lewis, especially so since I grew up about 30 miles from Sauk Centre Minnesota, where he was born and raised. The connection to the author's birthplace adds a personal touch to the review. It makes the reader wonder if the author's upbringing in a similar environment influenced their perception of the books.

Perhaps I will read all his great novels in the years ahead, here's hoping. This statement expresses the author's hope and anticipation for future reading experiences. It leaves the reader with a sense of possibility and excitement, wondering what other great works they will discover.

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Previous review: Another World

Recent review: Seven Against Thebes

Next review: Boswell's Presumptuous Task

Previous library review: It Can't Happen Here

Next library review: Main Street

What a premise for a book: A young man falls in love, not just with a young woman, but with a quest. This is the passion that infuses Arrowsmith. How the author was able to put blood into such an idea explains in part the Pulitzer prize.

The other part that explains the award is that the book is a good read. Covering the nearly 20 years during which a student (and later researcher) learns to embrace his life's calling, the plot never stalls. The constant motion guides us along with Martin Arrowsmith as he follows the thread leading him out of a labyrinth of false promises, and up upon his own personal road less traveled by.

During my reading, I couldn't help comparing the book to The Fountainhead, a book with a similar moral and strikingly similar plot elements. The notion of man as a hero who overcomes constant adversity drives the action in both stories. But Arrowsmith, published some 20 years before, is the better book. One difference is that the later book presents us with a young hero having a fully developed moral sense to start with, and with our book here we see, to better effect, how a man becomes a heroic figure in the first place -- how he learns which choices really matter. Another point of contrast lies in the role of capitalism, which helps the protagonist in The Fountainhead but hampers Martin in his own search for creative freedom. Either way, the effective status of the free market plays a crucial role in both books.

In further contrast, one finds in Martin a callow lad vulnerable to poor judgment, a flaw that elicits an indulgent sympathy. This high-strung fellow with a slightly nerdy disposition, black hair on pale skin and "dreamy" eyes, yaps away with an impossible "awe shucks" Midwestern affectation. His voice sometimes hits an jarringly piercing note; at other points his brusque rudeness abrades. Testy frustration at times pushes him to overwrought tears. And does his own self-discovery, in the end, arrive at the expense of a family member? Proneness to error makes up the bread and butter of the plot.

Rare for a novel, the scientific method is a theme, for Martin's self-actualization depends on it. The necessity of controls in a solid experiment and the need for uninterrupted research factor into the story. The corrupting power of commerce and personal popularity is a danger in which the young doctor finds himself entangled again and again. Like him, we find ourselves even today grappling with the effect that the profit motive exerts on clinical research.

Let's not think that a man turned so inward ends up entirely alone. But again, we find Martin's affections becoming psychological, possibly even at the expense of the sexual and familial. For such as he, the attraction of the mental bond two people can forge is a discovery that sets his psychic makeup apart from the crowd.

To this book, with its distinctive Midwestern tang, I gave a high rating. I recommend it for readers who are looking for an unlikely subject and an unusual hero, a protagonist pushing against a riptide toward unexpected contentment. It offers a unique exploration of a young man's journey of self-discovery, filled with passion, struggle, and moral growth. The vivid portrayal of Martin Arrowsmith and the complex themes presented make this book a captivating read that will leave readers思考 about their own lives and the choices they make.

I truly believe that I deserve some sort of reward for persevering through this novel, which ranks among the most excruciatingly boring ones I've ever had the misfortune to read. Perhaps a coupon for a complimentary pair of shoes, or a lovely fruit basket would suffice. Every single page felt like an absolute ordeal. There was not a single interesting plot point, character, or line of dialogue. Not one sentence held the slightest glimmer or sparkle that would suggest: this writer is worthy of a prize.

When one takes into account two other remarkable American works that were published in the same year and could have easily won the Pulitzer - The Great Gatsby and An American Tragedy - it really makes the mind boggle just a little bit.

Initially, I was inclined to give the book two stars out of respect for the Nobel Prize. However, then in the final pages, Arrowsmith abandoned his wife and very young child. He was irritated by the numerous social engagements that his wife expected him to attend. So, he moved to the woods to engage in scientific pursuits with a male colleague. Lewis presents this move as heroic, depicting the scientist as rising above ordinary life in his noble quest to pursue pure knowledge and better the world. But in reality, Arrowsmith has been a complete jerk throughout his life. In college, he got engaged to two girls simultaneously. While married to his first wife, he kissed and entertained thoughts of having affairs with two different women, and the second instance occurred while his wife was actually dying of the plague just several miles away.

Humans, as a species, were never meant to inhabit the large groupings of modern times. We are not only overly belligerent and cruel to one another, but our very biology seems to work against us, causing us to kill each other off. The only thing that has saved us from self-destruction, given us some breathing room, and allowed us the mental space to subdue the perils of the crowd is science. By science, I truly mean truth. The kind of absolute truth that serves as an unwavering rock in a world largely lacking such solid and immovable objects.

Just like the other Sinclair Lewis novels I've read, Arrowsmith spans a significant number of years in the life of its protagonist, Martin Arrowsmith. His life touches on the core of my own because Martin has a passion for the truth. He desires to know things, and he wants that knowledge with certainty.

As a young adherent of the truth, Martin turns to science, or more specifically, the common application of science: medicine. Throughout his long career as a doctor, he searches for truth and constantly encounters its compromised state. He discovers that truth is constantly under attack from all the forces that make up humanity. Things like friendship, love, greed, jealousy, and compassion all serve to dilute the essence of pure truth and render it ineffective. Martin also realizes that actual control over society is often contrived from this watered-down form of truth.

However, along the way, Martin meets the love of his life, Leora. In many respects, Leora is the human incarnation of truth, which is why I found her so charming as a character. Even though her presence is somewhat of a side story in Martin's life, she offers a glimpse into what a useful and meaningful truth in society could ultimately look like: absolute fact combined with imperfect humanity, but tempered with reason. But achieving that kind of future will only be possible if we can all bring ourselves to care about the truth and know what the truth is in this imperfect world.

Private practice, public policy, and original scientific medical research - our protagonist Martin Arrowsmith traverses through these diverse fields, and we have the opportunity to follow his journey.

Lewis masterfully captures the genuine labor, the numerous pitfalls, the unexpected pratfalls, and the snarkiness of both practitioners and observers. This makes the story feel remarkably fresh and modern, serving as proof that human nature remains relatively unchanged over time.

Gottlieb's diatribe about scientists hits the mark precisely and reminds us that there are indeed individuals among us who deeply care about truth and reality, strive to be authentic, and uphold integrity in their work. It is truly wonderful, even though Marty ultimately ends up as a wild man in the woods of Vermont. His story is a captivating exploration of the human spirit in the context of the medical and scientific worlds, filled with both triumphs and tribulations.

A Novel

In this remarkable novel, the writer delves deep into analyzing the pernicious effects that mercantilist zeal has on the man of science.

We are able to uncover, within the discursive fabric of the text, a passionate apology for the values of the spirit. In a society where everything seems to have been reduced to a tradable good, these spiritual values are practically on the verge of extinction.

However, the novel's structure artfully showcases the protagonist's unwavering moral integrity and dignity. This not only gives the story a captivating charm but also imparts an aura of idealism that was hitherto unachieved in the author's previous literary endeavors.

The exploration of these themes makes this novel a thought-provoking and engaging read, inviting readers to reflect on the state of our modern society and the importance of upholding the values that truly matter.

Although on the back cover everything related to research, medicine, and pharmaceutical companies is emphasized, the novel is much more than that, a great deal more. Sinclair speaks to us of dreams, of ambitions, of principles, of real failures and of failures that are not such, of life.

However, it is also true that a not inconsiderable part of the novel focuses on the denunciation of certain practices of the medical industry and that interested me a great deal less.

The story delves deep into the human psyche, exploring the hopes and fears that drive individuals. It shows how people can strive for success while still maintaining their integrity, or how they can lose their way in the pursuit of power and wealth.

While the aspect of criticizing the medical industry may be important, it overshadows some of the other wonderful elements of the novel. I would have preferred to see more of the characters' personal growth and relationships, rather than just a one-sided attack on an industry.

Nevertheless, Sinclair's writing is engaging and thought-provoking, and the novel does offer some valuable insights into the world of medicine and beyond.

Many years ago, I embarked on reading Sinclair Lewis’ novel Babbitt. However, I soon found myself overcome with boredom and promptly set it aside.

Despite this initial disappointment, I decided to give him another chance, albeit without much anticipation. At that time, my knowledge of Sinclair Lewis was rather limited. So, when I began reading Arrowsmith, I was astonished to discover just how popular he was during a significant portion of his writing career and how successful he was in every aspect.

His novel Main Street was actually awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 by the selection committee. However, the Columbia University trustees overruled this decision as Main Street did not meet the “wholesome” requirement for the award. The selection committee, a year later, was aware that for the same reason, it could not recommend Babbitt for the prize. When Arrowsmith was awarded the Pulitzer in 1926, Lewis refused it. What is even more significant is that Sinclair Lewis had three highly popular novels considered for the Pulitzer within a five-year span.

Despite winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1930, Sinclair Lewis was for many years overshadowed by such American literary greats as Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Faulkner. However, he has recently resurfaced with the renewed interest in his novel It Can’t Happen Here.

Arrowsmith is the story of a man, Martin Arrowsmith, who is torn between a financially rewarding career with its associated recognition and his deep love for pure science. In the process of making up his mind, he loses his first wife and forfeits his second. I was amazed at how relevant the story seemed when I was starting my career and how relevant it still is to the choices that young women and men must make today.

While there may be nothing particularly unique or even remarkable about the style of Lewis’ prose, nor does he employ any overly creative narrative structures, he tells a good story in a way that is easily accessible. Moreover, his characters feel genuine. They face real problems that I can relate to. Most importantly, he描绘了 an America that we can only understand today through a writer with his敏锐的洞察力.

I believe that I will be reading more of Sinclair Lewis in the future. Perhaps Main Street will be next.