Babbitt
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:17th Nov '94
Should be back in stock very soon
A satirical portrait of a town obsessed by capitalism and the 'values' of the marketplace
Realising that his life is devoid of meaning, he grows determined to transcend his trivial existence and search for a greater purpose.
In the economic boom years of 1920s' America, Babbitt became a symbol of middle-class mediocrity, and his name an enduring part of the American lexicon.
BY THE AUTHOR OF IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE
Businessman George F. Babbitt loves the latest appliances, making money and the Republican party. In fact, he loves being a Solid Citizen even more than he loves his wife. But Babbitt comes to resent the middle class trappings he has worked so hard to acquire. Realising that his life is devoid of meaning, he grows determined to transcend his trivial existence and search for a greater purpose.
In the economic boom years of 1920s' America, Babbitt became a symbol of middle-class mediocrity, and his name an enduring part of the American lexicon.
Full of vivid satire -- Robert McCrum * Observer *
Sinclair Lewis's wonderful demolition of the venal and pusillanimous nature of commercial America, Babbitt * Scotland on Sunday *
A satirical masterpiece * Sunday Times *
One of the century's most perceptive writers on working life * Observer *
His view of America was mordant, yet it was also unexpectedly loving; there is a tenderness in all three of these books that catches the reader unawares, and imbues them with a humanity that makes their satire all the more penetrating. * Washington Post *
Sinclair Lewis's skewering of the 'image is everything' mentality is as relevant today as it was in his day * San Francisco Chronicle *
The broad concept of Babbittry - the idea that the average American lives in a benighted, blinkered spiritual state - has been both popular and durable... Lewis's central idea, like the name of his hero, has survived depression, war, the rise of the suburbs, the revolt of the cities, feminism, the sexual revolution, the counterculture, multiculturalism and the Internet * New York Times *
ISBN: 9780099264712
Dimensions: 197mm x 130mm x 23mm
Weight: 272g
384 pages