Elmer gantry is a really well written novel authored by sinclair lewis in the 1920s. The name and title elmer gantry was arrived at by much the same. Dodsworth followed the pattern of the earlier books with names for titles. Sinclair lewis books biography and list of works author. When you leave a bid in advance of the auction, submit your maximum. Elmer gantry, in his next sermon, said that he was so broadminded that he would be willing to receive an infidel shallard in his church, providing he repented. Buy elmer gantry signet classics reissue by lewis, sinclair isbn. His portrait of a goldentongued evangelist who rises to power within his churcha saver of souls who lives a life of hypocrisy, sensuality, and ruthless self. Elmer gantry, the traveling evangelist who loved whiskey, women and wealth, was conceived by sinclair lewis in a bestselling 1927 novel. Elmer starts his career as a baptist and then joins up with a charismatic but equally unprincipled female revivalist preacher. It was a fortnight later that for his own satisfaction frank set down in the note book which he had always carried for sermon ideas, which he still carried for the sermons they would never let him preach again, a conclusion.
This study guide consists of approximately 22 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of elmer gantry. A broadway play by patrick kearney opened on 7 august 1928 at the playhouse theatre, where it ran for 48 performances. Elmer and jim lefferts retired to a table to nourish the long, rich, chocolate strains suitable to drunken melody. Lancaster portrayed the title character, a charlatan evangelist who joins a ministry headed by. After various forays into evangelism, he becomes a successful methodist minister despite his hypocrisy and serial sexual indiscretions. In 1930, lewis became the first american author to win the nobel prize in literature. Within our class, we have discussed main street 1920 and the movie elmer gantry 1960, based on lewis s book by the same title 1927. Lewis had long wanted to write a novel about what he called the religion racket. Elmer gantry has been called the greatest, most vital, and most penetrating study of hypocrisy that has been written since the works of voltaire goodreads 3. 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.
Elmer gantry, novel by sinclair lewis, a satiric indictment of fundamentalist religion that caused an uproar upon its publication in 1927. Elmer gantry is a novel 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. It tells the story of a hypocritical, corrupt, but very successful preacher named elmer gantry. It was published in various languages including french. 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. This tale of a hypocritical preacher who prefers money, booze and women over saving souls is today considered a classic. The willow walk is a short story by sinclair lewis. Harry sinclair lewis 18851951 appears twice on this list, the first time in 1921 for his novel mainstreet. Thanks to this bestselling novel and the 1960 film, elmer gantry is synonymous today with the sort of evangelical huckster whos familiar to americans and the world, but when sinclair lewis wrote it in 1927, it shocked the country with its cynical depiction of american religion. Elmer gantry burt lancaster, a drunken, dishonest street preacher allegedly patterned on billy sunday, wrangles a job with the travelling tent ministry conducted by sister sharon falconer jean. A little story about the bad old days is illustrative. It might have been supposed that lewis s form of sociological realism, in which he wove innumerable details from contemporary life into his narrative, would date badly and that his books.
Born harry sinclair lewis in sauk centre, minnesota, he began reading books at a young age and kept a diary. Battling against god in his book elmer gantry, sinclair lewis novel was about an alcoholic evangelist who would sleep with any woman he could. A dreamer, at age he unsuccessfully ran away from home, wanting to become a drummer boy in the spanish. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis elmer gantry felt as if id read it already because the protagonist has been so widely referenced in american culture. Elmer gantry, is initially attracted by booze and easy money and chasing women.
Bookplate with keats quote, the poetry of earth is never dead, on front endpaper. In 1930, he became the first writer from the united states to receive the n. Elmer gantry should elmer gantry be considered an icon in. He alone seems to be operating from a place of sincere inquiry. In 1927, american novelist sinclair lewis published elmer gantry. Sinclair lewis mercilessly skewers a narcissistic preacher who exploits christianity to enrich himself and secretly commits every sin he fulminates against from the pulpit. Published in 1926, elmer gantry is a classic fiction novel by sinclair lewis. Published in 1926, this is the story of a professional good man, a preacher and pastor in those first.
In 1930 sinclair lewis was the first american to win a nobel prize for literature. Dec 04, 2007 sinclair lewis worldfamous satire of religious hypocrisy and the excesses of the roaring. Lewis took a daring stand, and his work brought about the deconstruction of the myth regarding smalltown america. The clue to the lewis method lies in his annoying and. Sinclair lewis s elmer gantry new york, 1927 is a ferocious satire against protestant fundamentalist religion in the american midwest. May 20, 20 harry sinclair lewis 18851951 appears twice on this list, the first time in 1921 for his novel mainstreet. Elmer gantry, american film drama, released in 1960, that was an adaptation of sinclair lewiss novel of the same name and featured academy awardwinning performances by burt lancaster and shirley jones. Sinclair lewis s howl of outrage at the state of affairs in americas soul, elmer gantry a no. Harry sinclair lewis february 7, 1885 january 10, 1951 was an american novelist, shortstory writer, and playwright. Both the show and their relationship are threatened, however, when one of gantry s exlovers decides that she has a score to settle with.
In 1926, sinclair lewis came to kansas city to research a novel about preachers. Lewis skillfully uses chapter breaks to move the story forward, often skipping months and even years to get to the. 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. 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. About sinclair lewis 18851951 the author was born as harry sinclair lewis in 1885 in sauk centre, minnesota. This book, written early in the 20th century and considered a classic, is still a relevant read. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Elmer gantry, as the title suggests, is an most insincere and hypocritical preacher of the faith. A complete biography of sinclair lewis, author of elmer gantry. Elmer gantry 1927 aroused intense controversy with its brutal depiction of a hypocritical preacher in relentless pursuit of worldly pleasure and power. In 1930 he became the first american to win the nobel prize for literature. It is the story about a young man who becomes a successful preacher in a very cynical manner. Elmer gantry download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Elmer gantry burt lancaster, a drunken, dishonest street preacher allegedly.
His portrait of a goldentongued evangelist who rises to power. Light marks on pastedowns where items previously removed, corner creases to few pages, otherwise very good to near fine lacking dust jacket. When hedonistic but charming con man elmer gantry meets the beautiful sister sharon falconer, a roadside revivalist, he feigns piousness to join her act as a passionate preacher. 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. The story is set in the middle united states and begins in the early twentieth century. The minnesota backgrounds of sinclair lewis fiction.
Elmer gantry is a 1960 american drama film about a con man and a female evangelist selling religion to smalltown america. 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 self. The novel tells the story of a young, narcissistic, womanizing college athlete who abandons his early ambition to become a lawyer. 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. But the image of the conartist, scamming preacher lives on in our collective memory. 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.
Between the publication of main street and elmer gantry, lewis published his two of his seminal works, babbit 1922 and arrowsmith 1925. For the better part of a century, the title of sinclair lewis s phenomenally successful and often reviled novel elmer gantry 1927 has been a byword for religious fraud and bunk evangelism. 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. Sinclair lewis 1885 1951 sinclair lewis february 7, 1885 january 10, 1951 was an american novelist and playwright. Lewis went on to win the nobel prize for literature, and. Next lewis published elmer gantry 1927, which depicted an evangelical minister as deeply hypocritical. 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. More quotes from american author sinclair lewis 18851951. The legal profession does not suit the unethical gantry, who then becomes a notorious and cynical alcoholic.
Publication date 1927 topics iiit collection digitallibraryindia. First edition, second issue of lewis controversial bestseller. A dreamer, at age he unsuccessfully ran away from home, wanting to become a drummer boy in the spanishamerican war. First edition, first state with gantry spelled cantry on the spine of the cloth of the nobel prizewinning authors controversial bestseller and basis for the academy awardwinning film. Adapted by director richard brooks, the film is based on the 1927 novel of the same name by sinclair lewis and stars burt lancaster, jean simmons, arthur kennedy, shirley jones and. Taken from the classic sinclair lewis novel of the same name, director richard brooks garnered an oscar for best screenplay for his adaptation, and burt. Adapted by director richard brooks, the film is based on the 1927 novel of the same name by sinclair lewis and stars burt lancaster, jean simmons, arthur kennedy, shirley jones and patti page. Elmer gantry, sinclair lewis harcourt, brace and company. Many people didnt realize that 2007 marked the 80th anniversary of elmer gantry sinclair lewis s 1927 fictional portrait of a bogus evangelist. Then he got up from his chair, walked around the desk and faced the rest of us.
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. Elmer gantry is a satirical novel written by lewis in 1926 and published by harcourt in march 1927. If travel were so inspiring and informing a business. 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. Sinclair lewis worldfamous satire of religious hypocrisy and the excesses of the roaring. Elmer gantry mass market the elliott bay book company. Sinclair lewis 1885 1951 sinclair lewis february 7, 1885 january 10, 1951 was an american novelist and playwright born harry sinclair lewis in sauk centre, minnesota, he began reading books at a young age and kept a diary. Elmer gantry signet classics by sinclair lewis, mark schorer and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. All the while i was reading lewiss satirical account of evangelism in the american heartland of the early 20th century, i kept wondering how a screenwriter would manage the timeline. This book elmer gantry is a novel written by sinclair lewis. The two revivalists plan to transfer their increasingly mechanical operations to an enormous and deteriorating auditorium, in which an. May 15, 2014 elmer gantry is a satirical novel written by lewis in 1926 and published by harcourt in march 1927. 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. Elmer gantry ist ein sozialkritischer entwicklungsroman des literaturnobelpreistragers sinclair lewis aus dem jahr 1927.
The two make a successful onstage pair, and their chemistry extends to romance. Today 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. He was renowned as an american novelist, playwright and short story. Surprisingly few people have read of sinclair lewiss master work, elmer. Elmer gantry is a satirical novel written by sinclair lewis in 1926 and published by harcourt in march 1927. French translation of sinclair lewiss classic parody and critique of early twentiethcentury american religiosity. The novel was denounced by many religious leaders and banned in some u. Unsurprisingly, the book and the author were not very popular. Elmer gantry, is initially attracted by booze and easy money though he eventually. In the decade that followed, lewis published four other acclaimed novels of social criticismbabbitt 1922, arrowsmith 1925, elmer gantry 1927, and dodsworth 1929. The novel itself wasnt great as a written work, and as the wall street journal points out, even its admirers found little to praise as a work of literature. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis, first edition abebooks. This nobel prize winning author died in a clinic near rome from alcoholism. Through his satiric examination of evangelical religion, lewis captures the growing cultural and political tension during the 1920s between the forces of secularism and fundamentalism.
Sep 22, 2014 a little story about the bad old days is illustrative. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of elmer gantry by sinclair lewis. To me it is a minor book, but clever in its depiction of elmer, a bit of a twister. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. 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. Jasper52 will bid on your behalf as much as necessary to ensure that you meet the reserve price or that you remain in the lead, up to your maximum. The prize was given to him for the five noteworthy novels he wrote during the 1920s, main street, babbitt, arrowsmith, elmer gantry, and dodsworth.
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