Babbitt

In this masterful satire of early 20th century American life, Sinclair Lewis introduces George F. Babbitt, a prosperous partner at a real-estate firm in the fictitious town of Zenith. In the novel, Babbitt becomes unhappy with the ritualized and highly conformist life that he is leading and attempts to make it more gratifying. Unfortunately, accomplishing that task would take more character than our hero possesses and he relapses back into the vacuous rituals he intended to leave behind. Babbitt was first published in 1922, but many readers find that the satire still applies to modern American life. Lewis won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1930. This novel is featured in our collection of 25 Great American Novels.