The movie is entertaining but it is no main street. Main street is a 1923 american silent drama film based on the 1920 novel of the same name by sinclair lewis. That would all change when main street hit shelves in 1920 and sold 250,000 copies in its first yeara crazy huge number for the 1920s. Carol milford is a young, liberated woman from saint paul, minnesota, who marries a smalltown doctor named will kennicott. The palmer house hotel and restaurant is a must stop. It would also trigger a decade of uninterrupted success. This is americaa town of a few thousand, in a region of wheat and corn and dairies and little groves. They share a nimble, though often heavy handed touch of irony, and good characterization.
This is a list of film versions of sinclair lewis s novels, adapted from stephen r. Also inscribed and signed by lewis on the mat to two lifelong friends. Will kennicott at a friends house, and he begins courting her. Its not the most obviously exciting read, but it finds danger, excitement and drama hidden in the every day. The squat little building is flattopped and brutalist, more like a military bunker than a literary museum. Gopher prairie has changed its name to williamsburg and sinclair lewis s main street has become i married a doctor for the sweet uses of diversity and the warners, but the honest heart of. The librivox catalog page for this work lists the librivox readers.
Now, visitors can tour lewis boyhood home and stroll down a quaint yet modern main street that features a historic hotel, an art deco movie. Pastores list, a guide to films based on works of sinclair lewis, which appears in the sinclair lewis society newsletter spring 1998. It relates the life and struggles of carol milford kennicott in the small town of gopher prairie, minnesota, as she comes into conflict with the smalltown mentality of its residents. The romance of sinclair lewis by gore vidal the new york.
A broadway play version of the novel was produced in 1921. A librivox recording of main street by sinclair lewis, in the public domain. In the 1920s, a large component of americas middle class sought a more liberal identity. Carol kennicott nee milford, educated at tiny blodgett college, wants action. In 1930, he became the first writer from the united states and the first from the americas to receive the nobel prize in literature, which was awarded for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humor, new types of characters. New introductions commissioned from todays top writers and scholars. The romance of sinclair lewis by gore vidal the new. Main street 1h 30min drama 25 april 1923 usa the arrival of pretty carol milford in the staid midwestern town of gopher prairie really shakes up the locals. The genre of main street can make for interesting discussion. Carol milford is a liberal, freespirited young woman, reared in the metropolis of minneapolis. His father, a physician, led a strictly disciplined life, and his mother died when he was six.
Sinclair lewis, main street 1920 excerpts from the original electronic text found at the university of virginia librarys etext center homepage chapter 1 i. Today, many people think of the book as a great example of satire because of the way it exposes the people of gopher prairie to ridicule as typical smalltown americans. Interesting collection of businesses and just the place to spend a week end. Will kennicott, to leave the city life to which she is accustomed. She marries will kennicott, a doctor, who is a smalltown boy at heart. Arguably, he is the first major modern writer of the 20th century, as there is american literature before main street 1920 and after that seminal novel, which revolutionized writing in the us. Gopher prairie has changed its name to williamsburg and sinclair lewiss main street has become i married a doctor for the sweet uses of diversity and the warners, but the honest heart of.
Jul 22, 2011 starring colin firth, ellen burstyn, patricia clarkson, amber tamblyn, and orlando bloom. He was born in sauk centre, minnesota, the son of a doctor. See the article in its original context from february 3, 2002, section 7, page 4 buy reprints. The movie theater in this town probably has the original signage as well. She immediately doesnt fit in, and she spends years trying to reform the. Jane smiley continues her series on the novel with a look at sinclair lewiss main street, about the claustrophobia of smalltown life in america. But in a memoir, sinclair lewiss first wife, grave hegger, claimed that main street was not a satire until the critics began calling him a. Lewis graduated from yale university 1907 and was for a time a reporter. That it didnt come close says more about the competition, really, than it does about this. Oct 24, 20 main street 1920 by sinclair lewis is a critique of capitalism through a feminist lens, among other things. Main street is an american classic that i somehow missed until now, despite growing up in minnesota.
I know there was a lot of antagonism against lewis for his portrayal of life in small town minnesota, and maybe thats why i dont recall any discussion of him or his fiction in high school in the early 60s despite the fact that he was minnesotas and the usas first. Arguably, he is the first major modern writer of the 20th century, as there is american literature before main street. It is packaged in two parts, each part includes seven cassettes. Will kennicott just after college and moves to the small town of gopher prairie, minnesota. The arrival of pretty carol milford in the staid midwestern town of gopher prairie really shakes up the locals. Jane smiley on sinclair lewiss main street books the.
Inspired by lewis childhood in sauk centre, minnesota, it criticizes romantic notions of small town life in the united states. The story would be the same in ohio or montana, in kansas or kentucky or illinoi. On a hill by the mississippi where chippewas camped two generations ago, a girl stood in relief against the cornflower blue of northern sky. The remarkable novels presented here in this library of america volume combine brilliant satire with a lingering affection for the men and women, who, as lewis wrote of. Published in 1920, the novel follows carol milford as she moves to a conventional small town, where she encounters its conceited residents characterized by their ignorance, hypocrisy, and. The man from main street is a 1986 videocassette produced by wbgu of bowling green, ohio, and distributed by ohio humanities resource center. Like carol, sinclair lewis was no stranger to disappointment. The book satirizes the ugliness and conformity found in small midwest towns during the second decade of the twentieth century and ridicules the uninspired and selfsatisfied inhabitants. In main street you will find all the typical characters of this great american novel faithfully brought to life and woven into a screen masterpiece that will thrill, entertain and surprise you. Modeling his fictional midwestern town on his real minnesota home town, lewis. The story would be the same in ohio or montana, in kansas or kentucky or illinois, and not very differently would it be told up york state or in the. Starring colin firth, ellen burstyn, patricia clarkson, amber tamblyn, and orlando bloom.
The story would be the same in ohio or montana, in kansas or. Mar 14, 2014 main street by sinclair lewis was published in 1920. Main street 1920 by sinclair lewis is a critique of capitalism through a feminist lens, among other things. In writing main street, sinclair lewis paid little attention to formal plot development. I started with babbitt, a worthy novel, but inferior to main street. As only his home town could know him sauk centre herald sinclair lewis 1885 1951 the internet public library, online literary criticism collection sinclair lewis 18851951 new grub street lewis, sinclair writer 18851951 american history 102. Apr 23, 2019 main street is an american classic that i somehow missed until now, despite growing up in minnesota. Based on the 1922 novel by sinclair lewis, this film follows the life of george babbitt guy kibbee, a successful businessman, husband, and father of ted glen boles and verona maxine doyle in. National humanities center sinclair lewis, main street, 1920, excerpts. But its main street is the continuation of main streets everywhere. Satirizing small town life, main street is perhaps sinclair lewiss most famous book, and led in part to his eventual 1930 nobel prize for literature.
Jun 24, 2006 jane smiley continues her series on the novel with a look at sinclair lewis s main street, about the claustrophobia of smalltown life in america. Main street became a household word, both in the united states and abroad, within a few years after the publication of sinclair lewis widely read novel. With florence vidor, julien beaubien, monte blue, harry myers. Sinclair lewis 18851951 a social satire, main street became a bestseller soon after its publication, fascinating readers with its biting humor and realistic portrayal of smalltown communities. After an extremely unhappy childhood, he went to yale but left before graduation to work in upton sinclairs socialist colony at helicon hall in englewood, new jersey. An awkward youth, lewis did not have a very happy childhood. In other words, lewis himself likely thought of main street as a realist novel describing the malaise of a dissatisfied housewife. Sinclair lewis, american novelist and social critic who punctured american complacency with his broadly drawn, widely popular satirical novels. Buy a cheap copy of main street book by sinclair lewis. A 6 x 778 blackandwhite silver print formal portrait by yvonne, matted and framed to an overall size of 10 x 15, of lewis on the day he left for his honeymoon with dorothy thompson, signed by the photographer in red pencil beneath the image.
You may copy it, give it away or reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included with this ebook or online at. Sinclair lewis 18851951, the author of six novels that were turned. Main street is a satirical novel written by sinclair lewis, and published in 1920 satirizing small town life, main street is perhaps sinclair lewis s most famous book, and led in part to his eventual 1930 nobel prize for literature. An extraordinary american life biography, quotes, books duration. Carol milford attends blodgett college in minneapolis and dreams about settling down in a prairie village and transforming it into a place of beauty. Arrowsmith 1999, czech mini series elmer gantry 1960, based on novel cass timberlane 1947, based on novel bongo 1947, based on short story fun and fancy free 1947, based on bongo this is the life 1944, based on play untamed 1940, based on mantrap i married a doctor. First published in 1920, main street is sinclair lewis first major novel, and was a phenomenal success at the time. Jane smiley on sinclair lewiss main street books the guardian. Several residents of a small southern city whose lives are changed by the arrival of a stranger with a. Main street sauk centre 2020 all you need to know before. A typical small town main street, but you could almost imagine sinclair lewis walking around here. Sinclair lewis 18851951 won the nobel prize for literature in 1930, the first american novelist to be so honored. Jane smiley continues her series on the novel with a look at sinclair lewiss main street, about the claustrophobia of smalltown life in america jane smiley sat 24 jun 2006 08. The sinclair lewis interpretative center sits on the corner of main and 12th, across the street from a snap fitness center and a dairy queen.
I married a doctor 1936 attempts to update main street. Published in 1920, the novel follows carol milford as she moves to a conventional small town, where she encounters its conceited residents. Main street returns as i married a doctor, at the strand. Main street is the novel that established sinclair lewis literary reputation and was his first commercial success. This is a list of film versions of sinclair lewiss novels, adapted from stephen r. Consequently the narrative presents a series of episodes rather than a tightly constructed plot. Its a big, sprawling book with no discernible plot, like a soap opera.
Harry sinclair lewis was born february 7, 1885, in the small minnesota town of sauk centre, which would ultimately provide the model for the town of gopher prairie in main street. In main street and babbitt, sinclair lewis drew on his boyhood memories of sauk centre, minnesota, to reveal as no writer had done before the complacency and conformity of middleclass life in america. Scott fitzgerald, whose the great gatsby 1925 is narrated by nick carrawaylike fitzgeraldan ivy leagueeducated minnesotan who relocates to the east coast. Sinclair lewis, the first american to win the nobel prize for literature, was a colossus of american letters in the first half of the last century.
Main street 1923 directed by harry beaumont genres drama. If you just find the novel flatout depressing, it probably fits more into the. Main street 1920 is a story about carol milford, who is convinced by her new husband, dr. Main street by sinclair lewis was published in 1920. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of main street. The town is, in our tale, called gopher prairie, minnesota. The story of carol kennicott is a satiric attack on smalltown life. In 1930 lewis would be the first american to receive the nobel prize for literature. He won the nobel prize for literature in 1930, the first given to an american. In main street you will find all the typical characters of this great american novel faithfully brought to life. Carol milford kennicott, a graduate of sanctimonious blodgett college, with a year of additional study in a chicago library school, works as a librarian in st. The first four references are part of the language.
Its fair to say that main street might be considered either a realist novel or a satire, depending on how funny you actually find it. Harry sinclair lewis february 7, 1885 january 10, 1951 was an american novelist, shortstory writer and playwright. The most celebrated are sinclair lewis, whose novel main street 1920 is a satirical portrait of smalltown provincialism modeled on his hometown of sauk centre, and f. Visit the sinclair lewis listing at internet movie database for a more thorough listing of most of the movies and mini series. Main street by sinclair lewis documentary duration. The leaves were turning too and that just added to the charm. The project gutenberg ebook of main street, by sinclair lewis this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.