Sinclair Lewis
Biography
Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951) was an American novelist and the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature (1930). Born in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, Lewis became famous for satirical novels dissecting American middle-class life, small-town conformity, and institutional hypocrisy. Main Street (1920), Babbitt (1922), Arrowsmith (1925), Elmer Gantry (1927), and Dodsworth (1929) form one of the most devastating critiques of American society ever written. Lewis declined the Pulitzer Prize for Arrowsmith, calling literary prizes harmful to writers.
Common themes in Sinclair Lewis's work
American satire
A recurring theme throughout Sinclair Lewis's writing.
Small-town conformity
A recurring theme throughout Sinclair Lewis's writing.
Middle class
A recurring theme throughout Sinclair Lewis's writing.
Nobel Prize
A recurring theme throughout Sinclair Lewis's writing.
Books
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Why Sinclair Lewis is still read today
Lewis’s satire of American conformity, materialism, and hypocrisy remains sharply relevant. His creation of the word “Babbitt” as a synonym for middle-class philistinism entered the English language.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Sinclair Lewis?
Lewis (1885–1951) was the first American Nobel laureate in Literature, famous for satirizing American middle-class life. Read his novels free on TextStack.
What are Lewis’s major novels?
Main Street, Babbitt, Arrowsmith, Elmer Gantry, and Dodsworth.
Where can I read Sinclair Lewis online?
TextStack offers 5 of his major novels free online.
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