I have often regarded Sinclair Lewis as one of my all-time favorite writers, and he has had a profound influence on my own work. Reading "Kingsblood Royal" has enabled me to have a better understanding of what precisely I find so admirable about his writing. It's not that I consider this to be his most outstanding book; rather, it's just easier to analyze because it's one of his later works. By this stage, he is well aware of his best techniques (always some variation on allowing the pompous to self-destruct), and he employs them effortlessly, albeit somewhat predictably. This book represents Sinclair Lewis in his purest form. It is broad, unsubtle, and overdone. If he has a point to convey, he makes it, and it remains made. No plot twist is left unforeshadowed, and no minor flaw is left unamplified.

However, despite all of this, he is still a writer of remarkable subtlety and sensitivity. Somehow, he manages to balance all that boisterous satire with beautiful, quiet moments. His characters never feel completely "real," precisely speaking, but they do feel "relevant." They seem timeless. They may be silly and vain, and their dialogue is often "appalling" (Lewis' portrayal of female dialogue always comes across as stilted, and I thought Sophie was particularly bad in this book). But when he is at his best (as with Neil Kingsblood's internalized angst, which persists for most of the first three-quarters of the book), he is truly great.

I generally read Lewis more for the craftsmanship than the content. Nevertheless, I did think that in "Kingsblood Royal," Lewis handled some very challenging material with considerable grace. Was it contrived? Yes. Was it a bit silly in places? Certainly. But overall, it was still very well done.

Some writers fade away unremarkably, churning out mediocre work until they finally fizzle out and die. However, other writers make a powerful exit, and Sinclair Lewis' "Kingsblood Royal" is a prime example. With the assistance of Walter White, the President of the NAACP as a technical consultant, this novel directly confronts American racism and doesn't let up until the very last page.

The story follows a well-off young white couple from a small town in America. They treat their black maid with suspicion, as if she were a thief, and even name their dog "Nigger". Their ignorance and racism are on par with that of their friends and neighbors. But everything changes when Neil Kingsblood, at the behest of his father-in-law, looks into his ancestry. Expecting to discover British royalty, he is shocked to learn that his ancestor was a black frontiersman.

The word "discover" is central to this book. Every event that befalls Neil Kingsblood is a new discovery. He is as white as snow, with curly red hair, already carrying the stigma of a "red headed stepchild" - a delicious irony. Upon learning of his black ancestry, he feels compelled to share this truth with the world, starting with the narrow-minded townies he associates with.

Well-intentioned but perhaps a bit naïve, Neil spends a great deal of time confessing his discovery to the blacks in the town, who are all relegated to Mayo Street, far from the "clean" white neighborhoods. What follows are powerful dialogues from the blacks, sharing their diverse experiences - some militant, some tolerant, and even some exhibiting Uncle Tom-style submission. He even reconciles with the maid he once fired, admitting his own stupidity. It is a credit to Lewis that the black Americans in "Kingsblood Royal" are portrayed as complex and multi-dimensional characters.

Neil's actions reach a boiling point at a club dinner. After hearing a barrage of racist drivel, he publicly confesses to the attendees that he is black and proud. This act earns him the ostracism of his friends, neighbors, and even his own family. He loses his executive job at the bank, is kicked out of the Executive's Club, and faces endless coercion and threats, including being pressured to leave his fully-paid house.

When "Kingsblood Royal" was first published, it wasn't a huge success. America, having just spent six years fighting the most racist monsters of the 20th Century, wasn't quite ready to confront its own racism. According to Wikipedia, only Ebony Magazine gave the book a positive review.

The novel concludes with a tense race riot stand-off that still feels relevant and powerful today, just as it did in 1947 when it was first published. Yes, that's right, 1947. This book is outrageously bold and brutally honest, and it still packs a punch. It comes highly recommended for anyone interested in exploring the complex and often ugly topic of racism in America.

You would think this was a very "dated" book about prejudice, but it is just as relevant today as when it was written.

It's about a man who is married to a lovely wife and is the father of some lovely children. This is the 1950s, and even those with a little black blood in them are ostracized from the rest of society.

But Neil Kingsblood has no worries, right? Wrong. He discovers that he had a black great, great grandfather and an American Indian grandmother. This news causes him to rethink who he is in light of his own racist views.

I found the book an interesting study. It makes us realize that prejudice is still a major issue in our society, even though we like to think that we have come a long way since the 1950s. The story of Neil Kingsblood shows us that we need to be more open-minded and accepting of others, regardless of their race or ethnicity.

We should not judge people based on their appearance or their heritage, but rather on their character and their actions. This book is a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do in order to create a more equal and just society for all.

Well-intentioned, but often outdated and tedious, many traditional approaches have persisted in various aspects of our lives.

These well-intentioned efforts, although initially aimed at achieving positive outcomes, have sometimes failed to adapt to the changing times.

What was once considered innovative and useful may now seem archaic and ineffective.

The outdated nature of these methods can lead to a sense of tedium and frustration among those who are subject to them.

Whether it's in education, the workplace, or social interactions, we need to be open to new ideas and approaches that can replace the old and tired ones.

By doing so, we can break free from the constraints of the past and move forward towards more efficient, engaging, and fulfilling ways of living and working.

It's time to embrace change and leave behind the well-intentioned but outdated and tedious practices that have held us back for too long.