Babbitt
by Sinclair Lewis, 1922, with an afterword by Mark Schorer, a Signet Classic, published by the Penguin Group, New York
We found an old paperback copy of Babbitt in our home and I decided to read it. The text of this book is probably the most boring that I have ever read and nothing exciting ever seems to happen in the entire book. The book, however, won the Pulitzer Prize and then the Nobel Prize for literature in 1930. So, what’s so great about this book when I could barely stay awake while reading it (a problem I seem to have with more and more books these days)?
The answer is in the message that this book conveys in it’s portrayal of a supposedly successful businessman who is celebrated in his community. He seems to sense, however, that his life is unfulfilling and attempts to escape by getting involved in an extra marital affair, partying with nefarious and vapid individuals, and excessive alcohol consumption. None of it works and he eventually returns to his prior life and activities.
A bit of what this describes is what later became known as “mid-life crisis” but Lewis does describe in detail the vacuous and superficial world that may entrap an individual. I was very surprised to see the interactions that George Babbitt had with his two children which in 1922 seems very fresh when viewed in 2021, almost 100 years later. George’s son, Ted, isn’t cut out for college and wants to pursue his interest in a factory career dealing with mechanical things. It sounds very familiar.
After reading the book and sitting back thinking about it, Sinclair Lewis’ portrayal of Babbitt and the culture in which he was enmeshed, is done extremely well. The afterword by Mark Schorer really helped me to understand the book better. Despite the drudgery associated with reading this book, I have to give it the credit it’s due.
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