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A review by carrie562
Babbit by Sinclair Lewis
3.0
3 stars: liked it. I want to give it 4 stars but two things hold it back: it really drags in places with unnecessary repetition, and some of the political monologues are a little too heavy handed.
Otherwise I must say I enjoyed this tale of a 1920s midlife crisis. George Babbitt is a middle class, middle aged man, living a comfortably conventional life in middle America. But from the outset we understand George to have a deep seated vein of unconventionality buried underneath his civic-booster exterior. As the story meanders toward it's climactic manifestation of this essential conflict, we see how George enjoys the fruits of his conventionality while chafing at it's tight boundaries. The fallout when he exceeds those boundaries, and the ultimate resolution of the conflict, kept me turning pages until the final paragraphs. But it takes quite a while for the plot to get any traction, and several times I lost interest and had to be reminded to pick the book back up again. Ultimately, I'm glad I did, despite the rather artless political messaging, because I think the essential message on conventionality and social patterns of thinking remain timeless and relevant. And I certainly enjoyed the very vivid glimpse into 1920s life.
Otherwise I must say I enjoyed this tale of a 1920s midlife crisis. George Babbitt is a middle class, middle aged man, living a comfortably conventional life in middle America. But from the outset we understand George to have a deep seated vein of unconventionality buried underneath his civic-booster exterior. As the story meanders toward it's climactic manifestation of this essential conflict, we see how George enjoys the fruits of his conventionality while chafing at it's tight boundaries. The fallout when he exceeds those boundaries, and the ultimate resolution of the conflict, kept me turning pages until the final paragraphs. But it takes quite a while for the plot to get any traction, and several times I lost interest and had to be reminded to pick the book back up again. Ultimately, I'm glad I did, despite the rather artless political messaging, because I think the essential message on conventionality and social patterns of thinking remain timeless and relevant. And I certainly enjoyed the very vivid glimpse into 1920s life.