First published in 1935, when Americans were still largely oblivious to the rise of Hitler in Europe, this prescient novel tells a cautionary tale about the fragility of democracy and offers an alarming, eerily timeless look at how fascism could take hold in America.
Doremus Jessup, a newspaper editor, is dismayed to find that many of the people he knows support presidential candidate Berzelius Windrip. The suspiciously fascist Windrip is offering to save the nation from sex, crime, welfare cheats, and a liberal press. But after Windrip wins the election, dissent soon becomes dangerous for Jessup. Windrip forcibly gains control of Congress and the Supreme Court and, with the aid of his personal paramilitary storm troopers, turns the United States into a totalitarian state.
About the Author :
Harry Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951) attended Yale University, where he was an editor of the literary magazine. After a few of his stories had appeared in magazines and his first novel had been published, he was able to write full time. He was awarded the 1926 Pulitzer Prize for Arrowsmith but refused to accept it. However, he accepted the Nobel Prize awarded him in 1930, traveling to Stockholm to receive it formally.
Grover Gardner (a.k.a. Tom Parker) is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the "Best Voices of the Century" and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.
Review :
"A cautionary tale about the fragility of democracy...It Can't Happen Here remains uniquely important, a shockingly prescient novel that's as fresh and contemporary as today's news."
-- "Library Journal (starred review)"
"Lewis imagined the rise of a populist figure by the name of Buzz Windrip who rallies to defeat FDR in the 1936 election...Windrip loves big, passionate rallies and rails against the 'lies of the mainstream press.'"
-- "Time"
"One of the most important books ever produced in this country."
-- "New Yorker"
"The novel that foreshadowed Donald Trump's authoritarian appeal."
-- "Salon"
"This audio version of the Sinclair Lewis classic keeps listeners riveted to Grover Gardner's restrained yet powerful delivery. The 1935 novel, which predicts a dystopian future, is truly crafted for listening. Gardner is masterful at bringing listeners into the workings of protagonist Doremus Jessup's worried mind."
-- "AudioFile"
"A message to thinking Americans."
-- "Springfield Republican"
"Written at white heat."
-- "Chicago Tribune"
