That was an incredibly long and meandering story.

I found it nearly impossible to tolerate the main character, Martin Arrowsmith.

I truly felt sorry for anyone who aspired to feel significant to him.

The reason being that the only thing he ultimately held dear in life was scientific research.

It didn't matter about the friends who welcomed him when he had nothing.

Nor did it matter about the mentors who risked a great deal for him.

Not even his wives or his son could claim his true loyalty.

If it hadn't been for the fact that I needed just one more book to complete my 40-books reading challenge, I firmly believe I would not have been able to finish this one.

After finally doing so, I deeply wish I had dedicated that time to something else.

That being said, I can clearly see how this was a momentous book for its time period and remains quite relevant even today.

It serves as a powerful statement about the medical and scientific communities and the priorities of those involved.

However, despite all that, I simply did not enjoy reading it.

It took me an eternity to complete this book.

Of course, ever since I began reading it, I have endured several upheavals in my life.

This book presented a captivating exploration of a man's arduous journey in devoting his life to science, encompassing both his failures and his successes.

It was more intellectually stimulating than emotionally engaging. However, there was one particular event that evoked a great deal of sympathy for Dr. Arrowsmith within me.

But I shall refrain from spoiling it for anyone.

The detailed account of the protagonist's scientific pursuits and the obstacles he faced made it a truly absorbing read.

It offered valuable insights into the world of scientific research and the determination required to overcome challenges.

Despite not being overly emotionally charged, the book managed to hold my attention throughout with its thought-provoking content.

I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in science or a compelling story of perseverance.

I'm conflicted about this book.

The social commentary it offers regarding the profession of medicine, the pursuit of scientific knowledge, public health officials, and politicians is surprisingly relevant, considering the book was penned in the 1920s.

It is well-written, and the characters are thoroughly explored, although they are somewhat archetypal.

However, I found myself having to push through the book. Mainly because I didn't take a liking to Dr. Arrowsmith. I didn't truly care about his fate, and his inner conflicts seemed rather contrived. For instance, when confronted with the Plague in Central America, he is torn between his inclination to be compassionate and relieve suffering and his pursuit of scientific knowledge. This conflict seemed to me to be more about illustrating the author's social satire - the irony of someone striving to eradicate disease and human suffering yet refusing to administer a potential cure without an adequate control group is quite striking - rather than a conflict that would realistically occur in life. Granted, a double-blind study is ideal, but a fairly strong inference could be drawn by observing how many people perished before the phage was administered. I understand that this scientific fanaticism was intentional, but I just found it exasperating.

Dr. Arrowsmith's wandering gaze and heart, along with his paternalistic treatment of his idealized wife, made me dislike him even more.

Overall, I felt that the author could have made his point in significantly fewer pages.

Sinclair Lewis’s Arrowsmith was indeed a breakthrough novel.

It is regarded as the first novel that directly takes science and medicine as the main plot driver.

Moreover, it is a character study of a particular type of person.

Not just a scientist or a medical practitioner, but someone with a strong avocation.

Lewis enables us to grow with a very believable and flawed human being as he acts as an ordinary, everyman in search of and facing his destiny.

Martin Arrowsmith is not an outsized hero.

He is someone rather like us, yet still not quite one of us.

The question is, through him, is it within us to be a hero?

Arrowsmith is a recommended read for almost any audience.

It may be irreverent towards religion, but there is still a respect for the religious.

There is no bad language and no violence.

However, it might be too thought-provoking for the young, and the details of the plague can be unsettling.

Don't let the medical vocabulary deter you; Arrowsmith is something that anyone can read and enjoy.

We encounter Arrowsmith as a very young person, already deeply fascinated by medicine.

He is the friend of one of the local medical doctors, an otherwise broken drunkard who allows this young person to act as a town medical man, more so than what could occur in our time.

Next, we accompany him to a remote and minimally established public college/medical school.

Here, his performance will vary depending on the kinds of influence one could anticipate in a group of immature and unsophisticated college kids.

Among the aspects that make this extended introduction a superior example of writing is that the real theme is introduced and isolated in ways that will not be fully realized in any one place before the end.

For example, Arrowsmith spends a summer performing the hard physical labor of a lineman and enjoying this change.

That is to say, he cannot be criticized as being too pampered to handle real work.

Arrowsmith is a modern version of Pilgrim's Progress.

Along the way, he will discover what may seem to the reader as paradise, only for Lewis to take us one step deeper, where we may find that we, the reader, have accepted Vanity Fair over our hero's real goal.

After nearly 200 pages filled with repetitive themes, I finally gave up. The boredom was simply overwhelming, and what's more, the characters lacked depth. It felt as if I was trapped in a never-ending cycle of the same old storylines. I just didn't have the motivation to finish it. To be honest, this is the first Pulitzer Prize-winning work that has failed to capture my interest. I had high expectations, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to them. It's a real disappointment, especially considering the reputation that comes with the Pulitzer. I guess not every book can be a masterpiece, but still, I can't help but feel a bit let down.

This is my second encounter with ARROWSMITH.

Just recently, I had a conversation with a scientist at Starbucks. He had just donated his research to his alma mater, and his enthusiasm for his work was strikingly similar to that of Arrowsmith.

I shared with him my thoughts about the book and then made up my mind to read it again on my own.

I truly comprehend all the aspects that come with having a passion for something. However, I'm not entirely convinced that I can support the decision of not sharing that passion with the wider world, especially when it is evident that it could offer a great service.

Nevertheless, ARROWSMITH was once again a delight to read.

By the way - ARROWSMITH won the Pulitzer Prize in 1926, but Lewis declined to accept it. This adds an interesting layer to the story and makes one wonder about the author's motives and the significance of the award in the context of the book.

Overall, my second reading of ARROWSMITH has been a rewarding experience, and it has made me reflect on the nature of passion, research, and the role of scientists in society.

Yes, I am well aware that it won the Pulitzer Prize.

Yes, I also know that Sinclair Lewis was the author who penned it.

However, despite these notable facts, I must admit that it was still incredibly boring.

The story seemed to drag on and on, lacking any real excitement or engaging plot twists.

The characters felt one-dimensional and failed to capture my interest or make me care about their fates.

Even the writing style, which some may have praised, did little to hold my attention.

It was just a never-ending stream of dullness that left me feeling disappointed and unfulfilled.

Perhaps others may have found something more in this work, but for me, it was simply a bore.

This is my very first encounter with a Sinclair Lewis novel, and I'm certain it won't be the last.

It is seriously hilarious, filled with sarcasm, intelligence, and a biting edge. I have a great admiration for the way Lewis writes. His protagonist, Arrowsmith, was somewhat of a comical figure. He seemed to hold an inflated opinion of himself, thinking more highly of himself than anyone else did, including the reader. And yet, this very aspect made the book truly excellent!

Following Arrowsmith as he relocated numerous times in his pursuit of what he termed science, but which appeared to be more about ego and acceptance, was an incredibly enjoyable experience.

Although Arrowsmith was constantly proclaiming that he didn't desire recognition and was continuously attempting to demonstrate that he didn't seek fame, ultimately, I had the impression that he did. It was fascinating to observe how deeply he was loved by his wife, Leora, and by his mentor, Gottleib. They saw the best in him, even though he seldom revealed it to them. I really like it when such scenarios occur in books because it feels so genuine. We humans often do a poor job of expressing our appreciation.

Arrowsmith was far more committed to his science than to any individual; indeed, he was married to his job. And despite the fact that I have no interest whatsoever in the realm of medical experimentation and research, Lewis managed to make that world captivating. This was a very human story, and those are the kind that I prefer the most.

However, the biggest drawback of this book was the ending. It was极其令人失望. It felt hasty and anticlimactic.

I truly loved this book,

primarily because I have an absolute adoration for the main character, Martin Arrowsmith.

Initially, I was rather skeptical due to the considerable length of this novel.

However, after delving into its pages and reading it from cover to cover, I found that I would not edit a single word.

The life of this would-be biochemist is both tough and incredibly touching.

I thoroughly enjoy Sinclair Lewis's unique style and prose.

It is a great story that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who loves a well-written and captivating novel.

Whether you are a fan of biographies or just enjoy a good fictional story, this book is sure to please.

Give it a try and I'm confident you'll be as impressed as I was.

I can understand why this novel was of such great importance at that time. It vividly brought out the numerous conflicts that existed. There were the conflicts between public and private healthcare, a divide that still holds significance today. The clash between discovery and commercial exploitation was also explored, highlighting the ethical dilemmas faced in the scientific and medical fields. Additionally, the conflict between the researcher and the healer was a central theme, as seen in the character of Arrowsmith.

Arrowsmith, hailing from rural mid-west America, was the epitome of a scientist. He was content to shun the pleasures and riches of the world and remain secluded in his laboratory, dedicated to unravelling the secrets of major epidemics. Only his love, Leora, truly understood him. She faithfully followed him on his journey to find his place in the world, spending countless hours in his laboratory compiling tests and making notes. She accurately pegged him as “not a booster, but a lie-hunter, and a hick.” Another major influence on Arrowsmith was his research professor, Gotlieb, a renowned bacteriologist and an irascible seeker of the truth, regardless of the human cost.

The novel is filled with incident and chronicles Arrowsmith’s life from his youth, through his university years, and into his early life as a physician in fictional mid-western towns. He eventually gave up the role of the healer and pursued pure scientific research by joining his former mentor in New York City. His brief stints and initiatives in public healthcare drew the ire of the private healthcare establishment, making the novel relevant in modern times with the debate over Obamacare. However, the world of research also had its dark side, as seen when Arrowsmith’s discovery was usurped.
Arrowsmith faced his ultimate challenge when he was sent to St Hubert’s in the Caribbean to combat bubonic plague. He had to decide between keeping a control group without the vaccine to document results accurately or vaccinating everyone to save more lives. His beloved Leora showed him the way. After the climax in St. Hubert’s, we follow Arrowsmith further into his life of luxury and privilege with a new wife, Joyce. But he soon faced another existential decision: to complacently fade into anonymity in Joyce’s world or to give it all up again and join a renegade research colleague.
The narrative style is engaging, with brisk storytelling and underlying humour. The medical community, the research community, university life, and small town life are all well-described. There is a lot of medical and scientific terminology, which can be intimidating to the uninitiated, but it also adds authenticity to the story. Despite his rationality as a researcher, Arrowsmith is a very human character, governed by his emotions, making him a compelling protagonist for this long narrative voyage. Like an artist, he is completely self-absorbed in his pursuits until fate forces him to pause and reflect on his humanity.

Scientist hero story

I read "Arrowsmith" by Sinclair Lewis as a high school student, probably in the late 1960s or early 1970s. For several years, it was one of my very favorite books. Certainly, if we were rating books that way in the 60s, I would have given it five stars. However, I haven't re-read it in many years and have no real desire to do so. In retrospect, the things that made it a favorite when I was a teenager are now things I would dislike. At that time, I knew I wanted to become a scientist, but I had very little concrete idea of what a scientist actually does.

In "Arrowsmith", Sinclair Lewis (Paul de Kruif also deserves credit/blame as it was from him that Lewis got his ideas about how science worked) presents the protagonist, Martin Arrowsmith, as a hero scientist. Moreover, he is the kind of hero all scientists like to imagine themselves to be. Scientists, like artists, politicians, and businesspeople, like to think of themselves as rebels, subversives - people who speak truth to power and whose job is to think new things that no one has thought before. Take it from me - even the most hidebound conservative establishment professor of science is, in his/her own mind, a pirate. That is Martin Arrowsmith and his mentor Gottlieb. There is, of course, some truth in this picture of the scientist (and artist, politician, and businessperson), but it is not the whole picture.

Cementing Martin's status as a scientific Marty Stu, there is a love story in "Arrowsmith". It was appealing to me as a teenager - one of those love stories where an attractive person gazes adoringly up at our hero for no really apparent reason. Eventually, she dies to motivate Martin.
Aside from the obvious, the problem with these portrayals of scientist heroes is that they are inaccurate and damaging. Despite the silly academic classification system that contrasts the sciences with the humanities, science is a humanity - a uniquely human intellectual pursuit conducted in converse with other humans. Science is teamwork. Martin and Gottlieb would not have been good scientists.

Blog review.

I just completed this novel earlier today, and I was truly amazed. In her book, The Art of Fiction, Ayn Rand frequently refers to this work by Sinclair Lewis. She compares it to The Fountainhead on several occasions, and rightfully so. Martin Arrowsmith is in many ways similar to Howard Roark, although Roark had more integrity. However, Martin seemed much more human than Roark. There are times when all idealists fall short of their way of life. Martin sells out a few times in this story, but it makes his character more interesting. The conflict is more "real life" than in The Fountainhead. Don't misunderstand me; I also gave The Fountainhead a five-star rating. I love that book. In fact, I love both of these books.

My favorite aspect of this book is the relationship between Martin and Max. I know what it's like to have such high respect for an individual that when you violate their values, you feel convicted yourself. Max would be an excellent mentor for those who pursue individualism and idealism.

The novel is written extremely well, and there wasn't a single moment that left me confused. There was a literary flow to the story. The events lined up perfectly and presented Martin's development flawlessly. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who believes in individualism and understands the struggle one must engage in to achieve their personal goals.

The only issue I had with this book was the ending. I mean, I like how the story concludes, but I don't like the "summary" feel of the last few chapters. All of the events happened so quickly, and it was difficult to appreciate each one. This person dies, this person gets married, this person is born, this person quits their job, this person moves, and so on. It just seemed that the last few chapters could have been extended a bit since Lewis was so detailed when describing Martin's school experience, his time in North Dakota, and his career development. To "wrap things up" at the end almost felt like a letdown.

Regardless of my thoughts, this book is solid, plain and simple. Read it.