Main Street (1920)

Yes, I did enjoy this book, and I suspect it may have been a bombshell at the time. But I have to confess that, as I read it with [b:Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life|19089|Middlemarch A Study of Provincial Life|George Eliot|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309202283s/19089.jpg|1461747] still very fresh in my mind, in some respect I think Sinclair's novel fails to paint a complete canvas. The narrative is fully centred on Carol, the main protagonist, but we rarely get a proper view of how the other small town characters view from their own reasoned perspective. We can get some glimpses from conversations between Carol and the so-called reformist Vida, and possibly more from Kennicot (Carol's husband) toward the end of the novel, but what small town provincial life means for those who embrace it fully is somewhat lost, and seen only as a reflection through Carol's eyes.

It is beautifully written, and conveys very efficiently the protagonist struggle with her own self imposed yoke, her own immaturity and loneliness. Yet I felt a bit shortchanged as there were so many things left unexplained, chief of all any insights into why Kennicot's love for Carol keeps going in spite of her coldness. ( )

Caustic satire of small-town life. Although some of the concepts in the book are invariably dated, the concept and the characters are still only too familiar, and the follies of small-town living are laid bare. ( )

Babbitt was a book that very much resonated with me, showing me that despite the popularity of Updike’s Rabbit, he was beaten to it by over 50 years. With Main Street, Lewis actually predates Babbitt and casts a female in the protagonist role. In essence though, and with the same wry humour, the book explores the same themes of small-mindedness, middle-age crises and the futility of the American Dream.

Carol marries an older man who she hopes will help her realise her dreams. Instead, she finds herself trapped in the claustrophobic, life-sucking banality that is small-town USA. As she settles into the town and meets the rather narrow spectrum of its inhabitants, she does her best to make the best of it.

But her initial efforts lead to further frustration. Like many of us confronted by cultures we do not understand, Carol attempts reformation without taking the time to learn the motivations and reasons behind the way things have been done for generations.

That’s not to say that the reasons are worthy of esteem. But Lewis does an excellent job of showing that the very narrow-mindedness Carol criticises forms just as much a part of her character as those she is attempting to change.

There are a number of strong characters apart from Carol in the novel. No more so than Will Kennicott, her kind but unutterably boring husband. There are rare moments of intimacy between them, but by and large their marriage and the home that results are rather joyless. This lack of joy leads her, for a time, to reconsider her marital ties. I’ll leave you to find out whether she or the town win in the end.

Written two years before Babbitt, I felt that the later novel had a stronger protagonist, but perhaps this was because Babbitt, like me, is male, and I just related more to him. But whichever book you pick up out of these two, be prepared for scathing satire of middle-class values which is just as applicable today as it was nearly 100 years ago. ( )

Carol Kenicott makes the move from the big city of St. Paul to the small farm community of Gopher Prairie when she marries Will, one of the town's doctors. At the beginning of her marriage, Carol has grandiose ideas of transforming this small simple town into a beautiful artistic community. She tries to redecorate, create a community theater and bring her big city life style to this town, but faces resentment and opposition. Although the immediate target of this satire is the narrow minded attitudes of small midwest towns, but much of the personalities quirks and conflicts of Main Street are found in every community, from the big city to the rural country. I thought I would find Carol's life suffocating and depressing, but I didn't find this to be a downer at all. Surprisingly good and insightful! ( )

One of the most developed stories I've ever read about marriage...I'm glad I finally discovered it. ( )