Babbitt & Main Street (eBook)

Sinclair Lewis, born on February 7, 1885, in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, was a preeminent American novelist and playwright whose pointed social critiques became symbolic of the angst present in early 20th-century America. A graduate of Yale University, Lewis began his literary career as a journalist and editor before achieving fame as a novelist. His groundbreaking novel 'Main Street' (1920), offered a biting critique of small-town life and the narrow-mindedness often associated with it. This book set the standard for his future works that often held up a mirror to American life and culture, presenting it with a blend of wit and stark realism. His subsequent novel, 'Babbitt' (1922), encapsulated the essence of the vacuous middle-class existence, and through its title character, George F. Babbitt, Lewis introduced a new archetype to American literature—the self-satisfied but ultimately unfulfilled businessman. Lewis's incisive literary style was marked by his vivid characterizations and his ability to lay bare the hypocrisies of American society. In 1930, Sinclair Lewis was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first American novelist to receive the honor, cementing his position as a leading literary figure of his time. He continued to write novels, short stories, and plays until his death on January 10, 1951, leaving behind a legacy of social commentary through his expansive body of work.