Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - Babbitt

Babbitt
Babbitt
Author: Sinclair Lewis
Following the critical and commercial success of Main Street, Sinclair Lewis directed his barbs at the American businessman in Babbitt. The central character, George Follansbee Babbitt, is a middle-aged realtor living in Zenith, the Zip City. He is unimaginative, self-important, and hopelessly middle class. Vaguely dissatisfied with his p...  more »
PBS Market Price: $7.09 or $3.19+1 credit
ISBN-13: 9780553214864
ISBN-10: 0553214861
Publication Date: 9/1/1998
Pages: 432
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 15

4 stars, based on 15 ratings
Publisher: Bantam Classics
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 1
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review
Read All 3 Book Reviews of "Babbitt"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

reviewed Babbitt on
Still pertinent today and it was written in the early 20s. Worth reading.
reviewed Babbitt on + 3 more book reviews
An interesting picture of a man who is disconnected from himself. Said to be an indictment of business, but I see it as rather what can happen when we put all our focus on externals in general.
Slow going if you are used to modern pulp fiction, but well worth the effort to enjoy the development of the character which is Babbitt, a businessman.
reviewed Babbitt on + 36 more book reviews
First published in 1922, Babbitt is an authentic modern American classic, a biting satire of middle-American values that retains much of its poignancy today. George F. Babbitt, Lewis's outwardly successful but inwardly unhappy real estate salesman, still seems real. His story makes engrossing reading and is ideal for audio listening. With Babbitt himself at the center of every scene, it is impossible for listeners plagued by frequent interruptions to lose track of the story line. Narrator Wolfram Kandinsky has a voice that many listeners may find grating; however, his reading here conveys an appropriate ironic tone that is especially apt when he reads Babbitt's own lines. Recommended for general fiction collections.


Genres: