Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc., 1935. dj. Hardcover first edition - Lewis's chilling and satirical dystopian novel, set in what was - at the time it was written - the very near future - that is , just one or two years immediately following its publication. A story of the rise of a populist demagogue as the dictator of the United States, and the often ineffectual resistance of a small-town Vermont newspaper publisher. While this was written as Hitler was ascending to power and Lewis might have had Louisiana politician Huey Long (who was preparing to run for the presidency) as his model, I found it impossible to read the first third of the book without…
Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc., 1935. dj. Hardcover first edition - Lewis's chilling and satirical dystopian novel, set in what was - at the time it was written - the very near future - that is , just one or two years immediately following its publication. A story of the rise of a populist demagogue as the dictator of the United States, and the often ineffectual resistance of a small-town Vermont newspaper publisher. While this was written as Hitler was ascending to power and Lewis might have had Louisiana politician Huey Long (who was preparing to run for the presidency) as his model, I found it impossible to read the first third of the book without thinking of Donald Trump, especially when Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip promises to restore patriotism and "traditional" values. A must read novel for today's times although our hopes that "it can't happen here" have been diminished. Published just 5 years after Lewis became the first American writer to win the Nobel award. 458 pp.
Condition: Very near fine in black cloth with gold lettering on the spine (previous owner's name on front endpaper and the usual discoloration on the endpapers from the glue of the original binding) in a rather poor mostly silver dust jacket with a large (approx 2 square inches) chip on the lower edge of the front cover, a closed tear with tape repair to interior and many small chips to the upper edge, loss of about 1/4 in on the ends of the spine. Despite its flaws, however the dj does have the original price of $2.50 and it did do its job of protecting the book.
Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc., 1935. Hardcover first edition - Lewis's chilling and satirical novel, set in what was - at the time it was written - the very near future - that is just one or two years immediately following its publication. A story of the rise of a populist demagogue as the dictator of the United States, and the often ineffectual resistance of a small-town Vermont newspaper publisher. While Lewis might have had Louisiana politician Huey Long (who was preparing to run for the presidency) as his model, I found it impossible to read the first third without thinking of Donald Trump, especially when Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip promises to restore patriotism and "traditional" values.…
Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc., 1935. Hardcover first edition - Lewis's chilling and satirical novel, set in what was - at the time it was written - the very near future - that is just one or two years immediately following its publication. A story of the rise of a populist demagogue as the dictator of the United States, and the often ineffectual resistance of a small-town Vermont newspaper publisher. While Lewis might have had Louisiana politician Huey Long (who was preparing to run for the presidency) as his model, I found it impossible to read the first third without thinking of Donald Trump, especially when Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip promises to restore patriotism and "traditional" values. A must read novel for today's times as each day leaves us with only the hope that "it can't happen here." 458 pp.
Condition: Very good in black cloth with gold lettering on the spine -rubbing to the spine lettering, but it is still legible, very light toning to the pages, some discoloration on the endpapers from the glue of the original binding, but overall a sturdy and attractive copy of an important book.
IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE.
