Scan barcode
carlylottsofbookz's review
3.0
To start, this book was about a million times better than I thought it was going to be, to the point where I question my earlier thoughts of Lewis' work. (But I'm not going to go back and read Main Street...)
This book follows the life of Martin Arrowsmith. We meet him as a young child, who is hanging around the town doctor (who also has a bit of a drinking problem...) studying to be a doctor. Arrowsmith takes the doctor's advice, goes to college, then studies medicine and finds that he is pulled in the direction of scientific research. He also finds himself engaged (for a short time to two women at once), and then married to Leora. Leora is in many ways a perfect match for him because she wishes only really to be with him.
He tries at first to be a town doctor in Leora's hometown of Wheatslyvania, but finds that the town people dislike him and he moves on to a bigger city to work for the health department. He does moderately well there until his stubbornness gets him run out of town; and he is on his way to Chicago where he is making very good money, but not happy with the lack of research in his life. He writes to his old professor and soon has a very high paying job in New York doing research. It involves long hours and no social life, but Leora sticks with him through it all.
Then the plague hits the West Indies, and a possible cure that Martin has been working on could save the people. He, Leora and a fellow scientist go to the island and begin treating natives. At one point, Martin goes to another town to continue treating people, and makes Leora stay behind...where she catches the plague and dies alone. (Martin is also at this time either having a full on affair with a woman named Joyce he finds, or simply flirting, it was difficult for me to discern.)
The plague eases up--and although Martin get a lot of credit for his treatment, it is never really scientifically shown that it was his doing that ended the plague. He moves back to New York, publishes, becomes famous, has more money than he's ever dreamed of, and remarries with Joyce.
But nothing is satisfying to him if he is unable to do research, and he eventually leaves Joyce and his son John to join his research friend and work all day and night.
He proves repeatedly to be a stubborn, selfish person. But the book itself is pretty funny and interesting. Lot more science than perhaps it needed...but a good read.
This book follows the life of Martin Arrowsmith. We meet him as a young child, who is hanging around the town doctor (who also has a bit of a drinking problem...) studying to be a doctor. Arrowsmith takes the doctor's advice, goes to college, then studies medicine and finds that he is pulled in the direction of scientific research. He also finds himself engaged (for a short time to two women at once), and then married to Leora. Leora is in many ways a perfect match for him because she wishes only really to be with him.
He tries at first to be a town doctor in Leora's hometown of Wheatslyvania, but finds that the town people dislike him and he moves on to a bigger city to work for the health department. He does moderately well there until his stubbornness gets him run out of town; and he is on his way to Chicago where he is making very good money, but not happy with the lack of research in his life. He writes to his old professor and soon has a very high paying job in New York doing research. It involves long hours and no social life, but Leora sticks with him through it all.
Then the plague hits the West Indies, and a possible cure that Martin has been working on could save the people. He, Leora and a fellow scientist go to the island and begin treating natives. At one point, Martin goes to another town to continue treating people, and makes Leora stay behind...where she catches the plague and dies alone. (Martin is also at this time either having a full on affair with a woman named Joyce he finds, or simply flirting, it was difficult for me to discern.)
The plague eases up--and although Martin get a lot of credit for his treatment, it is never really scientifically shown that it was his doing that ended the plague. He moves back to New York, publishes, becomes famous, has more money than he's ever dreamed of, and remarries with Joyce.
But nothing is satisfying to him if he is unable to do research, and he eventually leaves Joyce and his son John to join his research friend and work all day and night.
He proves repeatedly to be a stubborn, selfish person. But the book itself is pretty funny and interesting. Lot more science than perhaps it needed...but a good read.
laurapk's review against another edition
5.0
Accurate portrait of a scientist, inspired by real research. I recommend it to all authors trying to write a character who is involved in biological research.
drewmoody321's review
3.0
Read my full review here: http://thepulitzerblog.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/entry-59-arrowsmith-by-sinclair-lewis-1926/
wildgurl's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book, because I just adore the main character, Martin Arrowsmith. I was skeptical because of the length of this novel, but after reading this, I would not edit one word. The life of this would be biochemist is tough, yet touching. I enjoy Sinclair Lewis style and prose. Great story. Recommend!
allabaranovsky's review against another edition
1.0
This book is a caricature. Every character in it is one dimensional. I cannot figure out how this counts as “great literature.”
craigievar's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
mdlukasik's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
tlm1964's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
vicvic30's review against another edition
2.0
Sinclair Lewis is one of eight American authors who was both a Nobel laureate and won the Pulizer prize. This novel takes place after the Flexner Report of 1910, which completely transformed medical education in the United States. It follows the story of a young man who makes his way through medical school but never really has any interest in being a physician. His only passion is research and that is painfully clear at every turn of his career. Overall, I was bored. As much as I love medicine, I didn't care about his career nor his personality (banal.) His love interests were all submissive idiots.