Is Sinclair Lewis’s Novel It Can’t Happen Here Predicting It Can?

Amazon briefly describes this novel: “It is 1936. America has just elected Berzelius Windrip to the presidency-and his fascist policies turn the U.S. into a totalitarian state.”

Our reading group member selected it for February. Normally it’s not my preference in reading material, however the purpose of our reading group is to read a variety of books beyond what we normally choose. I’m finding it fascinating.

Wikipedia states: “It Can’t Happen Here is a semi-satirical 1935 political novel by American author Sinclair Lewis Published during the rise of fascism in Europe, the novel describes the rise of Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip, a politician who defeats Franklin Delano Roosevelt and is elected President of the United States, after fomenting fear and promising drastic economic and social reforms while promoting a return to patriotism and “traditional” values.”

Click here to read more from Wikipedia.

 

Julaina Kleist-Corwin

Editor of Written Across the Genres

Author of Hada’s Fog

 

6 Comments

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6 Responses to Is Sinclair Lewis’s Novel It Can’t Happen Here Predicting It Can?

  1. It’s riveting, but I can only take so much at a time, if that makes sense. And I can’t wait to find out what happens. It’s so uncannily real.

  2. Eerie and prophetic? My favorite line in the book and I’ll paraphrase because I can’t remember it exactly: “No, it isn’t Buzz (Berzelius Windrip), it’s the sickness that made us throw him up that is the problem.”

  3. Great quote, Julie, and true in the situation we are in today too, like a cat with a fur ball.

  4. The country elected Nixon, and never learned from its mistake. A person without ethics will never make a good leader.

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