Main Street
by Lewis, Sinclair
- Used
- good
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Good
- Seller
-
Haddon Heights, New Jersey, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
Main Street by Sinclair Lewis is a satirical novel concerning small town America. The story follows Carol Milford, a liberal and free-spirited woman, as she marries Dr. William Kennicott and settles in his hometown of Gopher Prairie, Minnesota. Upon arrival, Carol is shocked by the conservatism and general backwardness of Gopher Prairie—which is loosely based on Lewis’ hometown of Sauk Centre, Minnesota. The residents of Gopher Prairie seem more interested in gossip than larger cultural or social issues, which frustrates Carol. In various attempts to reform the town, she implements one improvement project after another, all of them ending in failure. In the end, Carol realizes that her frustrations with the individuals of the town should really have been directed towards its institutions and that although she was been beaten, she has kept the faith. Lewis initially seems to be attacking his small town roots in the novel, but his satire is double-edged; Main Street is not only a critique of simple townspeople, but also of the superficial intellectuals who look down on them. Main Street was not expected to be a commercial success. Lewis anticipated selling 10,000 copies; Harcourt, Brace and Howe anticipated 20,000. In the first six months of 1921, Main Street sold over 180,000 copies. Main Street is ranked 68th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century. The novel was initially awarded the Pulitzer Prize for literature that year, but the Board of Trustees overturned the decision and gave the prize to Edith Wharton for The Age of Innocence instead. (In 1925, Lewis rejected the Pulitzer Prize for Arrowsmith because he felt that he had deserved the prize for Main Street.)
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Details
- Bookseller
- Glading Hill Emporium (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- Alibris.0001840
- Title
- Main Street
- Author
- Lewis, Sinclair
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- P. F. Collier
- Date Published
- 1930
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Keywords
- Classics; Feminine; Fiction; General; History; Literary; Married women; Minnesota; Small Town
- Bookseller catalogs
- Fiction;
Terms of Sale
Glading Hill Emporium
We ensure to accurately describe the quality of our books (Brand New, Very Good, Fair, etc.). We scrutinize each book thoroughly prior to posting for sale, and again immediately before shipping. Therefore, neither the method of shipping nor the quality of our books is an issue. We do, however, offer the following remedies within 10 days of a customer receiving any item(s) shipped by us. Upon prior approval by e-mail, in the following circumstances we will: 1) Wrong Title Sent- the buyer may return the book for a full refund of book purchase price and original shipping cost, plus the cost of return USPS Media Mail postage and inexpensive padded envelope (not to exceed $2.50 total for return shipping cost); 2) Incorrect Stated Condition of Item- the buyer may return the book for a full refund of book purchase price and original shipping cost.
About the Seller
Glading Hill Emporium
About Glading Hill Emporium
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Reading Copy
- Indicates a book that is perfectly serviceable for reading. It may have a defect or damage. As such, reading copy is not a...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....