It Can't Happen Here [J0457]

2005 PB reprint of the 1935 orginial, in Gift-Worthy condition. Written as a response to the rise of European fascism, this book depicts a dystopian fascist future for the United States. The only one of Sinclair Lewis's later novels to match the power of Main Street, Babbitt, and Arrowsmith, It Can't Happen Here is a cautionary tale about the fragility of democracy, an alarming, eerily timeless look at how fascism could take hold in America. Written during the Great Depression when America was largely oblivious to Hitler's aggression, it juxtaposes sharp political satire with the chillingly realistic rise of a President who becomes a dictator to "save the nation." Now finally back in print, It Can't Happen Here remains uniquely important, a shockingly prescient novel that's as fresh and contemporary as today's news.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "This is an astonishing book. Written 90 years ago, Lewis wanted to send a warning to all readers, especially Americans, that what was happening in Europe with Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini COULD happen here. There is nothing about us that makes us immune. The book is filled with Lewis' characteristic acerbic wit, but when the main character Doremus Jessup, who thinks he is protected by his long-standing good reputation, personally falls victim to the monsters in Buzz Windup's dictatorship, the book loses its wit, viscerally describes the horror of being at the mercy of these monsters, and shows how Jessup has no protection at all."; "If you enjoy good political reads, this is one you need to add to your list. Not only is it descriptive, but it gets into your head and makes you think as you read. It is superbly written and Sinclair Lewis wrote a brilliant novel."; "It's a little spooky how a novel written in the 30s so accurately describes the current political environment. Sinclair Lewis is also a much funnier writer than I expected."