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Main Street

Main Street

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Main Street

by Lewis, Sinclair

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Very Good/Fine
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Beverly Hills, California, United States
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About This Item

Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1921. Hardcover. Very Good/Fine. Published in New York by Harcourt, Brace and Company in 1921. Twenty-fifth printing stated on copyright page. Lewis's first major success, a realistic portrayal of Midwestern life, and the first of several important novels for which he became the first American to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. With facsimile DJ. Book very good+. DJ near fine.

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
Bookbid Rare Books US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
0105081
Title
Main Street
Author
Lewis, Sinclair
Format/Binding
Hardcover
Book Condition
Used - Very Good
Jacket Condition
Fine
Quantity Available
1
Publisher
Harcourt, Brace and Company
Date Published
1921

Terms of Sale

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About the Seller

Bookbid Rare Books

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2009
Beverly Hills, California

About Bookbid Rare Books

Bookbid Rare Books is a rare book dealer located in Beverly Hills, California. The family run company has sold modern literary first editions and children's books for over 20 years. Member of ABAA, ILAB.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Good+
A term used to denote a condition a slight grade better than Good.
Copyright page
The page in a book that describes the lineage of that book, typically including the book's author, publisher, date of...
Fine
A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
Facsimile
An exact copy of an original work. In books, it refers to a copy or reproduction, as accurate as possible, of an original...
New
A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...

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