The book was published in multiple languages including french, consists of 352 pages and is available in paperback format. 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. Set in the 1920s, the novel is a satire of american religious attitudes at the time. Gantry, and in a moment which i shall never cease to regret, i assented, and got my husband to help me by forging letters purporting to come from dr. Sinclair lewis was enough of a writer for his books to still be readable and his characters contemporary. Pages can include considerable notesin pen or highlighterbut the notes cannot obscure the text. Sinclair lewis worldfamous satire of religious hypocrisy and the excesses of the roaring. Lewis s depiction of elmer and his immersion in the evangelical world is the strongest aspect of the book. Elmer gantry never knew who set him thirty dimes, wrapped in a tract about holiness, nor why. Elmer gantry richard brooks, sinclair lewis, jean simmons. No one could ever have dreamed in 1960 that fundamentalist christians would have the political power they do today. A brooding look at revivalist religion in which the over the. 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.
Elmer gantry, all persons connected with the profanation of the sabbath by showing motionpictures were arrested for three sundays in succession after which the motionpictures went on as before, and elmer received telegrams of esteem from the sacred sabbath league, j. Click download or read online button to get elmer gantry book now. 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. A complete biography of sinclair lewis, author of elmer gantry. 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. I liked how it was based only on the second half of the book. Vintage double weight photograph from the set of the 1960 film. Elmer gantry musiker eigentlich dave terry, britischer musiker, siehe stretch band. In 1926, sinclair lewis wrote elmer gantry, a fictional novel about a minister who is a hypocrite. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Published in 1926, this is the story of a professional good man, a preacher and pastor in those first. 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. Elmer gantry ist ein sozialkritischer entwicklungsroman des literaturnobelpreistragers sinclair lewis aus dem jahr 1927. The story is set in the middle united states and begins in the early twentieth century. Although elmer is not a very nice person and he only becomes worse as he grows in power and influence, he s not a sociopath, which means.
Written over 90 years ago, elmer gantry still manages to entertain and challenge. Download or read elmer gantry book by clicking button below to visit the book download website. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis goodreads share book. Elmer gantrys velvet opera, at various times also known as velvet opera, was a british rock band active in the late 1960s. Staubsaugervertreter elmer gantry ist in seinem be. 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. I first read it some years ago during the height of the televangelist scandals, and while the vernacular seemed a bit quaint, the story itself was as fresh as the daily headlinesso topical that for a while there i regarded lewis as something of a prophet.
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. 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 is a really well written novel authored by sinclair lewis in the 1920s. But he found the sentiments in the tract useful in his sermon, and the thirty dimes he spent for lovely photographs of burlesque ladies. In the decades that followed, the book would become widely available. Btw, listen for the satirical self criticism toward the end of the novel. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis bomc book of the month club etsy. The liquor interests, particularly certain distillers who wished to injure dr. It is the story about a young man who becomes a successful preacher in a very cynical manner. Elmer gantry, novel by sinclair lewis, a satiric indictment of fundamentalist religion. The book has been awarded with audie award for literary fiction.
Also appearing in elmer gantry are arthur kennedy as an h. Sinclair lewis elmer gantry, which shocked, amused, confounded, but rarely bored readers back in. Elmer gantry is a bit dated, but it remains entertaining and smart, and probably a lot more enjoyable if you dont mind seeing religion poked with a sharp stick. Sinclair lewis as set down in the good book elmer gantry in which this author. This is a physical facsimile reprint of the original first edition of elmer gantry by sinclair lewis. Excellent recounting based on the controversial sinclair lewis novel that got three academy awards. The title character of elmer gantry starts out as a greedy, shallow, philandering baptist minister, turns to evangelism, and eventually becomes the leader of. Elmer gantry is a 1960 american drama film about a con man and a female evangelist selling religion to smalltown america. A fasttalking traveling salesman with a charming, loquacious manner convinces a sincere evangelist that he can be an effective preacher for her cause. 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. Canadas epl soccer podcast patch note discussions skinny fat asses dj alex rio r1918. Elmer gantry, is initially attracted by booze and easy money though he eventually renounces tobacco and alcohol and chasing women. Elmer gantry download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are.
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. 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. Published in 1926, elmer gantry is a classic fiction novel by sinclair lewis. Elmer gantry, as the title suggests, is an most insincere and hypocritical preacher of the faith. In fact, upon warrants sworn to by the reverend dr. 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.
Elmer gantry, novel by sinclair lewis, a satiric indictment of fundamentalist religion that caused an uproar upon its publication in 1927. Novel by sinclair lewis, a satiric indictment of fundamentalist religion that caused an uproar upon its publication in 1927. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading elmer gantry. 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. The book was ranked as the number one fictional bestseller in 1927. 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. 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. Members of the band would later become members of the strawbs, hudson ford and stretch. In my opinion, elmer gantry is sinclair lewis finest novel, and thats saying a lot. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis bomc book of the month. 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. Lewis skillfully uses chapter breaks to move the story forward, often skipping months and even years to get to the.
Elmer gantry was made into a lively and impressive film in 1960 starring burt. 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. Menckenstyle atheistic journalist, and edward andrews as george babbitt, a character borrowed from another sinclair lewis novel. Bookplate with keats quote, the poetry of earth is never dead, on front endpaper. Next lewis published elmer gantry 1927, which depicted an evangelical minister as deeply hypocritical. The book, it may be recalled, followed elmer gantry all over the country for a long period of time. The main character is a buffoon who uses people up. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of elmer gantry by sinclair lewis. Harry sinclair lewis february 7, 1885 january 10, 1951 was an american novelist, shortstory writer and playwright. Nashville opera presented the premiere in 2007, and since then it has been presented by several companies including the opera programs at the university of houston and the university of minnesota and at florentine opera in milwaukee. Here lewis makes clear its not the style of preaching that elmer embodies or even his character that are the heart of the matter.
With burt lancaster, jean simmons, arthur kennedy, dean jagger. This tale of a hypocritical preacher who prefers money, booze and women over saving souls is today considered a classic. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis elmer gantry, long tedious and really cynical. Sinclair lewiss dialogue, although firmly of its time is authentic and well written. Elmer gantry, the traveling evangelist who loved whiskey, women and wealth, was conceived by sinclair lewis in a bestselling 1927 novel and. Free download or read online elmer gantry pdf epub book. Even the hollywoodization of sinclair lewis elmer gantry couldnt cover up all the hypocrisy of organized religion that lewis gleefully portrayed in his book.
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 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. The title role was played by burt lancaster, who won an academy award along with costar shirley jones. Reading all books referenced on gilmore girls a classic that s sadly still relevant today. In particular, elmer gantry is a perfect study of hypocrisy and rationalization in action. 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. Elmer gantry was released at the dawn of the decline of the production code, and although the censors had massive issues with the content, it does manage. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. 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.
The novel was denounced by many religious leaders and banned in some u. Lancaster portrayed the title character, a charlatan evangelist who joins a ministry headed by. Sinclair lewis, elmer gantry signet classics sinclair lewis won the nobel prize for literature in 1930, the first american to do so, for his ability to create, with wit and humour, new types of. A novel written by sinclair lewis and published in 1927, elmer gantry was brought to the screen by director and writer richard brooks in 1960. Regardless, this movie stands the test of time, because the human condition regarding religion hasnt changed. Elmer gantry 9780451530752 by lewis, sinclair and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Sinclair lewis books list of books by author sinclair lewis. Pdf elmer gantry book by sinclair lewis free download. 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. Elmer gantry is a satirical novel written by sinclair lewis in 1926 and published by harcourt in march 1927. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis, first edition abebooks passion for books. Elmer and jim lefferts retired to a table to nourish the long, rich, chocolate strains suitable to drunken melody. Lewis s central reason for writing this book is voiced by another preacher, a disaffected one, in a long monologue lewis has composed that is the whole enchilada. Gantry as one of the greatest foes of the booze traffic, came to me and paid me to attack the character of dr.
The first edition of the novel was published in 1927, and was written by sinclair lewis. Film clip courtesy of mgm consumer productssee all videos for this article. Lewis had long wanted to write a novel about what he called the religion racket. There are multiple format available for you to choose pdf, epub, doc. 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. A little story about the bad old days is illustrative. Director richard brooks gets up close to direct burt lancaster as lancaster holds jean simmons. Elmer gantry by lewis, sinclair and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. See all books authored by sinclair lewis, including it cant happen here, and main street, and more on. 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. In 1927, american novelist sinclair lewis published elmer gantry. The nobel prize was awarded to sinclair lewis for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humour, new types of characters.
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