Good read.

The subject of race discrimination was very well presented in this piece. It really opened my eyes to the harsh reality that many people face due to the color of their skin.

Fortunately, I had never heard of some of the slurs used, which shows that I have been sheltered to some extent. However, this also makes me more aware of the importance of educating myself and others about the harm that race discrimination can cause.

We need to work together to create a more inclusive and equal society, where everyone is treated with respect and dignity regardless of their race. This means speaking out against discrimination whenever we see it, and also taking the time to understand and appreciate the cultures and experiences of others.

Overall, this was a thought-provoking and informative read that has left a lasting impression on me.

I have a deep admiration for Sinclair Lewis, and there is one particular reason for it.

He has the remarkable ability to enter the minds of the people he holds in the greatest contempt and then transform one of them into a heroic figure.

I truly regret not having read this book prior to reading "Parting the Waters."

Interestingly, some of the characters in this book bear a striking resemblance (in terms of character content) to those who, 15 years later, were responsible for bombing homes and churches in Birmingham.

The intensity and depth of their hatred are almost incomprehensible.

It makes one wonder about the complex and often dark recesses of the human psyche that Lewis was able to explore and bring to light in his work.

His writing not only entertains but also forces us to confront the uncomfortable and disturbing aspects of our society and the people within it.

It is this ability to make us think and question that makes Sinclair Lewis such a remarkable and influential author.

It's 1944. In a small, conservative town in Minnesota, Neil Kingsblood, a white and rather uptight banker, makes a shocking discovery - he is "part Negro".

This revelation sets off a terrifying chain reaction. Pretty much everyone around him, except for his new "coloured" friends, turns on him with prejudice, hatred, and violence.

As a result, Kingsblood feels forced to "divorce" himself from the white community.

This book is truly amazing. It is likely one of the most potent indictments of institutionalized American racism that I have ever come across.

The actions of the racist locals who turn against the formerly respected Neil are still disturbingly familiar today.

It serves as a powerful reminder of the deep-seated and persistent nature of racism in American society.

This was an extremely painful read! I truly believed that Mr Lewis would never lead us to a happy conclusion. It appeared as if the antagonism and insults would persist indefinitely. And unfortunately, when you take away some people's excuse to hate, they will simply conjure up another. I vividly recall hearing some of these same pitiful arguments for bigotry during my upbringing. Back then, it was primarily about African blood, but today, the target has shifted to sexual preference. It has just become so tiresome! I am utterly exhausted of the fear that masquerades as hatred. People, please grow up!

Lewis' timing was flawless. Just as I had said "ENOUGH!" the enlightened Bavarian makes an appearance on the scene. What a wonderful addition, especially right after Lewis reveals the resemblance between the militant whites and the Nazi party! True beauty lies beyond the surface.

P.s. I couldn't help but notice a hint of Lewis in J.K. Rowlings' evolving writing style. It's quite interesting to observe the influence.

A comfortable Minnesota middle-class family finds its very foundation shaken, quite literally, when it is discovered that one of its members has an African-American ancestor. Sinclair Lewis's novel, written in his late forties, does come across as a bit preachy at times. However, it presents a scenario that, while perhaps a bit strained, is still plausible.

Devotees of Sinclair Lewis are likely to appreciate this novel. It directly addresses racial topics and racism, which unfortunately are still very much a part of our society today.

Nevertheless, it cannot be considered one of his best works. There are aspects of the story that could have been developed more fully, and the preachiness at times detracts from the overall impact.

Despite its flaws, the novel does have its merits and offers an interesting exploration of race and family in America.

I simply couldn't put this novel down, which truly came as a surprise to me. My previous experiences with Lewis's works had been rather slower reads. However, this time, Lewis delves into some extremely heavy topics. He employs frank and brutal language that perfectly matches the attitudes of those he is criticizing.

The novel commences with a very dark sense of humor. But as the story progresses, it gradually builds up to a violent and frightening conclusion. The protagonist, who starts off as a respected, white middle-class banker, undergoes a transformation and becomes a mixed-race pariah due to the absurd one-drop racial rule.

It is truly fascinating to observe the roots of 60s protest and reform taking hold within this novel. Lewis's writing style and the themes he explores make this a captivating and thought-provoking read that keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end.

I really struggled with the first two thirds of the book. To be honest, I wasn't at all impressed with Lewis's writing style. If you can even call it a style, that is. There were way too many characters. Many of them were only discussed briefly and then immediately abandoned. The plot, which was otherwise well-thought-out, had a very slow pace. And there was an abundance of unnecessary dialogues.

However, in the last third of the book, Lewis truly proved that this is a work of a genius. It's amazing how he managed to capture the American 1940s fascism, single-mindedness, and ignorance without any bias or sentimentality. The story is really scary when you consider the fact that it tells of events that were typical of a relatively recent period in a presumably "democratic" society. It makes you wonder if anything has really changed after only two generations.

This is a brave book. I'm giving it five stars. It's a book that makes you think and reflects on the state of our society, both then and now.

I'll have to meditate on this longer to form a more coherent review.

However, I can already say that I truly loved this book.

The story was captivating from the very beginning, drawing me in and making it impossible to put down.

The characters were well-developed and relatable, each with their own unique personalities and flaws.

The author's writing style was engaging and流畅, making it a pleasure to read.

Even though I haven't finished thinking about all the details, I know that this book has had a profound impact on me.

I can't wait to share my thoughts with others and recommend it to anyone who loves a good story.

Overall, it was an excellent read that I would highly recommend.

This is at least the third time I've delved into this novel, and each encounter leaves me astounded by Lewis's profound insights regarding race relations in America.

Tragically, his perspicacity reveals the unsightly state of affairs in 1947 and the numerous parallels that persist to this day. Neil Kingsblood, a WWII veteran, returns to Grand Republic, Minnesota, after the war. Having been wounded and now with a slight limp, his father suggests he engage in family genealogy as he can no longer partake in sports. His father speculates that the family might be related to royalty. However, Neil discovers that a great great grandfather was a black fur trapper. Despite initially attempting to deny it, he ultimately embraces this aspect of his heritage and makes it known to others.

The response from his family, friends, and the general public is malicious and condescending. He befriends individuals within the black community and realizes that much of what he had previously believed about African Americans was false and simplistic. Without revealing too much, his experience of being a black man in a racist society is terrifying. Every American should peruse this work. Walter White, who shared a similar racial background and served as the head of the NAACP, assisted Lewis with his research by introducing him to numerous African Americans and enabling him to understand their lives in a segregated society.

This novel presents a powerful and unadorned message. It emphasizes that if you are a White person, especially if you have lived or grown up in the Midwest, you should closely examine your assumptions and be willing to rethink them. The setting of the story 80 years ago doesn't diminish its relevance; in fact, by changing a few slang terms, some of the conversations could easily be happening today.

Lewis's storytelling is highly effective. He begins with a snobbish and racist family from the east coast looking down on Minnesota as a place full of hicks. This immediately hooks Midwestern readers, as they have likely encountered such types and can join the author in tsk-tsking at them. The family makes unfair assumptions, and then one of them comments on Neil Kingsblood's handsomeness right after a blatantly foreshadowing racist remark. We then shift to Neil's comfortable upper-middle-class life in a small town in Minnesota. At first, Neil comes across as annoying, making cringey racist comments and being overly proud of his ancestry and social connections, much like the east coast snobs at the start of the story. However, as Neil begins to understand how wrong he was, his ignorance starts to seem more like naivete, and at times he becomes a sympathetic character. This is especially true when the story turns satirical, such as when his boss doesn't want him to interact with customers because of their potential reaction to a Black person, even though Neil is a pasty redhead. This use of satire highlights the arbitrariness of the racial caste system in the US.

The dialog in this book is where it really shines in revealing the insidiousness of racism in the Midwest. Many of the social rejections Neil faces are disguised behind ostensibly polite words that hide hostility. Almost every White character at some point says something like "I'm not prejudiced, but..." and then proceeds to tell a Black character that they are not allowed to do something that a White person can do. The story shows that Neil Kingsblood, the naïve White Midwestern everyman, doesn't understand the severity of the situation until he experiences it firsthand. He doesn't fully grasp the depth of the problem until he becomes unemployable, is disowned by his family, threatened, and ultimately attacked to the point of being arrested and jailed. This shows how segregation operates and how deeply ingrained racism is.

Still, the question remains whether Neil is brave or foolish. To truly understand social injustice, he has to completely change his sense of identity, but this shift is based on racist assumptions. His first visits to the Five Points are uncomfortable to read because he goes there more to indulge in a fantasy about himself and his family history rather than to learn about others. His Black friends and acquaintances warn him not to reveal his heritage publicly, both for his safety and because they believe he could do more good fighting racism as a White man. This raises an uncomfortable question for White people: could they do the same? Neil's social circle is full of racists, and when he reveals his heritage, they all shun him. This is exactly what White people fear when they remain silent in the face of racism. Neil and his family choose not to move because he knows he would face the same dilemma elsewhere.

Finally, with the advent of DNA testing, the idea of racial identity has new implications. Stories have emerged of people discovering ancestry similar to Neil's, and it is more common than previously thought. For some White people, such a discovery might be as unsettling as it was for Neil. Even 80 years after the story took place, it is worth examining why this might be the case.

We read Kingsblood Royal for our book club.

It is an extremely wordy and rather difficult book to get through. However, it did have one advantage - it was great to have on the nightstand as it easily put me to sleep.

Aside from that, it's important to remember that this book was written in 1947 and focuses on race relations.

The state of affairs described in the book is truly sad. There are far too many situations where the same problems that were prevalent back then have persisted. Maybe they aren't as extreme as what happened to Kingsblood when he made public his discovery of having Negro blood, but they are still very much present in society.

This book serves as a reminder of the long and arduous journey we have had and still have to make in dealing with issues of race and equality.

I've always heard of Sinclair Lewis by reputation.

However, this is the first book I've read by him, and I must say that the satire within it is truly remarkable.

I have no idea how accurately it reflects the times since it is set in the 1940s.

Nonetheless, Lewis handles the characters with a great deal of sympathy.

Neil Kingsblood is a likeable individual, even when he is wrong about certain things.

When it is revealed that Neil is legally a black man, he and his wife embark on a journey to figure out their roles.

They are willing to do the right thing rather than simply conform to what society expects of them.

Lewis presents a diverse range of both black and white characters who are all grappling with the clumsy and often unjust way that society dealt with the racial divide during that era.

This book was a great read, and I can't help but feel a bit cheated that my teachers in high school never mentioned Lewis or this particular work.

It makes me wonder what other literary gems I might have missed out on during my educational years.