He was eloquently drunk, lovingly and pugnaciously drunk. The book was published in multiple languages including french, consists of 352 pages and is available in paperback format. The book was ranked as the number one fictional bestseller in 1927. Harry sinclair lewis february 7, 1885 january 10, 1951 was an american novelist, shortstory writer and playwright. See all books authored by sinclair lewis, including it cant happen here, and main street, and more on. In babbit, sinclair lewis turns business into a religion. Elmer gantry is the portrait of a silvertongued evangelist who rises to power within his church, yet lives a life of hypocrisy, sensuality, and ruthless selfindulgence. In 1930, following elmer gantry 1927 and dodsworth 1929, sinclair lewis became the first american author to be awarded the nobel prize for distinction in world. Arrowsmith elmer gantry dodsworth by sinclair lewis. Click download or read online button to get elmer gantry book now. For the better part of a century, the title of sinclair lewiss phenomenally successful and often reviled novel elmer gantry 1927 has been a. Elmer gantry, the traveling evangelist who loved whiskey, women and wealth, was conceived by sinclair lewis in a bestselling.
It is the story about a young man who becomes a successful preacher in a very cynical manner. Eighty years after the book and almost 50 years since the movie, elmer gantrys name still. Elmer gantry is a satirical novel written by sinclair lewis in 1926 that presents aspects of the. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading elmer gantry. Sinclair lewis worldfamous satire of religious hypocrisy and the excesses of the roaring.
Elmer gantry is a satirical novel written by sinclair lewis in 1926 that presents aspects of the religious activity of america in fundamentalist and evangelistic circles and the attitudes of the 1920s public toward it. Universally recognized as a landmark in american literature, elmer gantry scandalized readers when it was first published, causing sinclair lewis to be invited to a jail cell in new hampshire and to his own lynching in virginia. This tale of a hypocritical preacher who prefers money, booze and women over saving souls is today considered a classic. The title character starts out as a greedy, shallow, philandering baptist minister, turns to evangelism, and eventually becomes the leader of a large methodist congregation. Location 52 at that point, i knew then that the book would make for one fascinating read. Btw, listen for the satirical self criticism toward the end of the novel.
Elmer gantry never knew who set him thirty dimes, wrapped in a tract about holiness, nor why. Written over 90 years ago, elmer gantry still manages to entertain and challenge. The book has been awarded with audie award for literary fiction. Pdf elmer gantry book by sinclair lewis free download 352.
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. Elmer gantrys titular character is a boozing womanizer who, as a college student, learns the intoxication of holding an audience with his. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis, first edition abebooks passion for books. The novel tells the story of a young, narcissistic, womanizing college athlete who abandons his early ambition to become a lawyer. But he found the sentiments in the tract useful in his sermon, and the thirty dimes he spent for lovely photographs of burlesque ladies.
Lewis s depiction of elmer and his immersion in the evangelical world is the strongest aspect of the book. Published in 1926, elmer gantry is a classic fiction novel by sinclair lewis. For the better part of a century, the title of sinclair lewiss phenomenally successful and often reviled novel elmer gantry 1927 has been a byword for religious fraud and bunk evangelism. Although elmer is not a very nice person and he only becomes worse as he grows in power and influence, hes not a sociopath, which means. Set in the 1920s, the novel is a satire of american religious attitudes at the time.
Sinclair lewis as set down in the good book elmer gantry in which this author of the early 20th century condemns organized religion, most notably the baptist church. Novel by sinclair lewis, a satiric indictment of fundamentalist religion that caused an uproar upon its publication in 1927. Sinclair lewis s dialogue, although firmly of its time is authentic and well written. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Lewis had long wanted to write a novel about what he called the religion racket. The main character is a buffoon who uses people up. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Elmer gantry has even been made into a new opera, with a score by robert aldridge and a libretto by herschel garfein, that recently premiered in nashville. In elmer gantry, sinclair lewis uses the character of elmer gantry to represent, without nuance or ambiguity, what he viewed as the prototypical evangelical minister of his day. The story is set in the middle united states and begins in the early twentieth century.
Elmer and jim lefferts retired to a table to nourish the long, rich, chocolate strains suitable to drunken melody. Over the past few weeks, ive enjoyed sinclair lewis novel elmer gantry as an audio book, beautifully read by anthony heald and it took me a while to figure out why. The title character of elmer gantry starts out as a greedy, shallow, philandering baptist minister, turns to evangelism, and eventually becomes the leader of a large methodist congregation. Sinclair lewis writing style made me enjoy the story much more. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis audiobook download christian. Elmer gantry here, sinclair lewis tells the story of american religion in the early 20th century, through the characters of elmer gantry a selfrighteous, hypocritical evangelical preacherand his foil, frank shallardhis honest, reflective, and therefore doubtful colleague.
The legal profession does not suit the unethical gantry, who then becomes a notorious and cynical alcoholic. Elmer gantry is a really well written novel authored by sinclair lewis in the 1920s. Elmer gantry, is initially attracted by booze and easy money though he eventually renounces tobacco and alcohol and chasing women. Elmer gantry, as the title suggests, is an most insincere and hypocritical preacher of the faith. Sinclair lewis books list of books by author sinclair lewis. Feb 14, 2018 the sentence that followed interested me even further. We shall yet make these united states a moral nation. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. His portrait of a goldentongued evangelist who rises to power within his churcha saver of souls who lives a life of duplicity, sensuality, and ruthless selfindulgenceis also the record of a period, a reign of grotesque vulgarity, which but for lewis. This was followed by the two novels considered by many to be his finest, babbitt 1922 and arrowsmith 1925, which was awarded the pulitzer prize in 1926, but declined by lewis. Elmer gantry is a very real portrayal of a man who is ecstatic about his religion, but it is all an outward show for profit.
Whereas, in elmer gantry, lewis turns religion into a business. While it cant happen here posits the aftermath of a false prophets ascent, elmer gantry is a complete portrait of such a man and, in our present moment, strikes me as the far more useful book. The first edition of the novel was published in 1927, and was written by sinclair lewis. Universally recognized as a landmark in american literature, elmer ga. It was instantly condemned by the church and billy sunday called the author satans cohort. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of elmer gantry by sinclair lewis. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are. Lewis finished the book while mending a broken leg on jackfish island in rainy lake, minnesota. Schmutz hall late of an afternoon when two large men walked in without knocking. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis, first edition abebooks. In particular, elmer gantry is a perfect study of hypocrisy and rationalization in action.
Elmer gantry download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Elmer gantry and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Published in 1926, this is the story of a professional good man, a preacher and pastor in those first decades of the 20th century before the great depression. Today universally recognized as a landmark in american literature, elmer gantry scandalized readers when it was first published, causing sinclair lewis to be. In 1930, following elmer gantry 1927 and dodsworth 1929, sinclair lewis became the first american author to be awarded the nobel prize for distinction in world literature. Film clip courtesy of mgm consumer productssee all videos for this article. Sep 22, 2014 a little story about the bad old days is illustrative. Jim had a resolute tenor, and as to elmer gantry, even more than his bulk, his thick black hair, his venturesome black eyes, you remembered that arousing barytone.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Free download or read online elmer gantry pdf epub book. The story of aaron gadd, the godseeker, a powerful figure in the mold of elmer gantry sinclair lewis published by popular library 1962. Feb 22, 2008 elmer gantry, a flawed preacher for the ages elmer gantry, the traveling evangelist who loved whiskey, women and wealth, was conceived by sinclair lewis in a bestselling 1927 novel and continues. This was the apogee of his literary career, and in the period from ann vickers 1933 to the posthumously published world so wide 1951 lewis wrote ten novels that reveal the progressive decline of his creative powers. Sinclair lewis, elmer gantry the reverend elmer gantry was reading an illustrated pink periodical devoted to prize fighters and chorus girls in his room at elizabeth j. Elmer gantry by lewis, sinclair and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Pages can include considerable notesin pen or highlighterbut the notes cannot obscure the text.