Kennicott puts a stop to the romance and makes plain to his wife the kind of life she would lead if married to the son of a swedish farmer. Excerpted from main street novel on wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Lewis begins with a prologue describing gopher prairies main street as the continuation of. Lewis, 18851951, was one of the most popular american authors of the postwwi era, the most romantic of realists. Satirizing small town life, main street is perhaps sinclair lewiss most famous book, and led in part to his eventual 1930 nobel prize for literature. If you just find the novel flatout depressing, it probably fits more into the.
Main street is a quintessentially american book about the smugness and selfsatisfied provincialism of a small town in the midwest. Published in 1920, the novel follows carol milford as she moves to a conventional small town, where she encounters its conceited residents characterized by their ignorance. The story of carol kennicott is a satiric attack on smalltown life. The novel is set in gopher prairie, roughly based on sauk centre, minnesota, lewiss hometown. Main street, by sinclair lewis universidade do minho. They relocate to his hometwon of gopher prairie, minnesota, where she is taken aback by the little towns backward ways and ugly appearance, which she sets about to improve. The story would be the same in ohio or montana, in kansas or kentucky or illinois, and not very differently would it be told up york state or in the carolina hills. I liked the job, third, free air second, and main street first, by some margin.
Its fair to say that main street might be considered either a realist novel or a satire, depending on how funny you actually find it. Jan 21, 2006 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Main street, novel by sinclair lewis, published in 1920. What i like in books is a wholesome, really improving story, and sometimes why, once i started a novel by this fellow balzac that you read about, and it told how. Current subscribers pay no reading fees for magazine submissions and are permitted to submit one book per year for consideration while their subscriptions remain active. The novel opens with 16yearold fabiola toussaints arrival in detroit. The story revolves around two sisters, ruby and flora northrop, who move to the small town camden falls to live with their grandmother after the sudden death of their parents. Main street is a story about carol milford, who is convinced by her new husband, dr. The first edition of the novel was published in 1920, and was written by sinclair lewis. Have you ever felt like your life was totally boring. Main street by sinclair lewis goodreads share book. Feb 02, 20 main street is a satirical novel written by sinclair lewis, and published in 1920.
The narrator uses the opportunity to observe that the spirit of rebellious youth locked inside this girl is all that remains of the pioneers that once ventured across the prairie. She was born in the united states but was raised in haiti by her mother, valerie. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 454 pages and is available in paperback format. Highly acclaimed upon publication, main street remains a recognized american class. Main street, sinclair lewis main street is a satirical novel written by sinclair lewis, and published in 1920. In his article from the boston globe, dropping by main street 60 years later, charles e. The story revolves around two sisters ruby and flora northrop who shift to a small town camden falls to live with their grandmother after the sudden death of. Free download or read online main street pdf epub book. This content was uploaded by our users and we assume good faith they have the permission to share this book. Main street was a tremendous bestseller, published when lewis was 35, and cited by the nobel prize. The story is set in gopher prairie, minnesota, a fictionalized version of sauk centre, minnesota, lewis hometown.
The project gutenberg ebook of main street, by sinclair lewis this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions. Mar 03, 2017 once upon a wedding will be available june 9th, as part of the newest boxed set by the authors of main street, titled. You are cordially invited to attend more than eleven weddings this summer, as told by the lovely writers who brought you the bestselling christmas anthology, christmas on main street. This is americaa town of a few thousand, in a region of wheat and corn and dairies and little groves. The force with which the protagonist is in conflict is called the antagonist. Out on main street, the first short fiction publication of indotrinidadiancanadian writer shani mootoo, is a collection of nine stories with origins that are both caribbean and canadian, diasporic and contintental, here and there. Jane smiley on sinclair lewiss main street books the. Summary chapter 1 carol milford, a student at blodgett college in minneapolis, walks to a hill overlooking the mississippi river. We have new and used books and a great selection of quality sidelines and educational toys. Martin includes books welcome to camden falls, needle and thread, tis the season, and several more. In other words, lewis himself likely thought of main street as a realist novel describing the malaise of a dissatisfied housewife. Main street by sinclair lewis free ebook manybooks.
Submission fee applies to everyone except current subscribers to the main street rag. What i like in books is a wholesome, really improving story, and sometimeswhy, once i started a novel by this fellow balzac that you read about, and it told how. The books power derives from the careful rendering. Main street by sinclair lewis free ebook project gutenberg. The first of his major novels of the 1920s, sinclair lewiss main street satirizes the manners of the american middle west. We are an independent local bookstore located in the heart of beautiful downtown minot, nd since march of 2006. Pdf main street book by sinclair lewis free download 454. Main street, originally published in 1920, is the story of a sophisticated young woman who moves to a small town in the american midwest in 1912 and struggles against the smallminded culture of the citizens who live there. They had no particular destination in mind and ended up in a small, grassy park not far from the projects. A social satire, main street became a bestseller soon after its publication, fascinating readers with its biting humor and realistic portrayal of smalltown communities.
The story would be the same in ohio or montana, in kansas or kentucky or illinoi. Now an american classic, sinclair lewiss bestselling novel main street became the decades statement of the citytown divide in america. The town is, in our tale, called gopher prairie, minnesota. Sinclair lewis, main street, excerpts, 1920 america in class. What if you felt like you couldnt change things because you were stuck living in a boring town with a boring spouse and nasty old ladies telling you to go to church all the time. The following version of the book was used to create this study guide. Main street is a novel by sinclair lewis that was first published in 1920. Main street at first evoked wrath in this town and its environs. Main street was a tremendous bestseller, published when. Erik abruptly leaves gopher prairie on the minneapolis. It appears to me that sinclair lewis really hit his stride with main. Main street is a satirical novel written by sinclair lewis, and published in 1920. Main street is his most famous book, though certain critics prefer babbitt as a better novel. Main street by sinclair lewis full text free book full text archive.
Main street became a household word, both in the united states and abroad, within a few years after the publication of sinclair lewis widely read novel. Pdf main street book by sinclair lewis free download. The main characters of this classics, fiction story are. Jun 24, 2006 main street is his most famous book, though certain critics prefer babbitt as a better novel. At main street books we pride ourselves on being unlike any other bookstore in the area and on being an integral piece of our hometown.
Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Will kennicott, to leave the city life to which she is accustomed. Main street is a satirical novel written by sinclair lewis, and published in 1920 satirizing small town life, main street is perhaps sinclair lewiss most famous book, and led in part to his eventual 1930 nobel prize for literature. In that context it does remind me of two of his earlier novels. The group walked down dayton street in newark, new jersey, that summer afternoon, laughing, cussing, and spitting on the sidewalk just to show this little bit of turf belonged to them. But its main street is the continuation of main streets everywhere. The story of main street is filtered through the eyes of carol kennicott, a young woman married to a midwestern doctor who settles in the minnesota town of gopher prairie modeled on lewiss hometown of sauk centre. First edition, second issue with page 54 and 387 type errors. An intelligent, beautiful young woman named carol milford finishes college with dreams of changing the world. In the 1920s, a large component of americas middle class sought a more liberal identity.
See the complete main street series book list in order, box sets or omnibus editions, and companion titles. See a complete list of the characters in main street and indepth analyses of carol kennicott and dr. When nikkis father left her family, she thought more. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Stocking over 20,000 titles in 45 categories, main street. It relates the life and struggles of carol milford kennicott in the small town of gopher prairie, minnesota, as she comes into conflict with the smalltown mentality of its residents. I liked each of them in the reverse order of publication. The only serious extramarital love affair in main street is that between carol and erik valborg, a tailors assistant five years younger than she. We believe strongly in the power of the written word to inform, entertain, empower and educate plus we have the nicest staff in the. This book is available for free download in a number of formats including epub, pdf, azw, mobi and more. Mainstreet offers an exciting selection of styles and patterns. Our diverse collection of patterns range from linear, to geometric, to organic, to solids. National humanities center sinclair lewis, main street, 1920, excerpts.
223 16 943 82 976 510 494 588 685 555 97 1479 415 472 888 1167 1224 274 970 353 25 861 948 1144 1490 1361 582 234 754 491 738 1208 1213 1311 989 79 1213 1073 104