New-York tribune., 1922-09-17
A Mirror of Mediocrity
By Burton Rascoe

inevitable actually unforeseen space
Mr. Lew should extraordinary develop
nent This it has with results
novel one of the social English language
You will recall Street.. Of accurate
observation sharp Characterization and satirica hghght the
inpatienty careless point
was at times irritating and there tedious lack of consion and
selection These faults hardly evident than they
Lewiss model for Main Street which Bovay
than "Babbtt"
opening paragraphs in Babbtt YOU begin to note that Mr.
Lewis has here expression
further
know that he has prued his storv Of rrevanc and has td h
material with with
Lewis has disciplined racy omaic expo
subjected amazing genius for seeing the absurde of life the
exigenes of form and and that he has sympathetic
kindlier view of things.
"Babb the story George real estate
operator upandcming American population
He is booster he has "sod his hammer
100 Americana emblem order
his wife dinner occasionally
him what he insists calling efficiency
The American Magazine Washington
Sancy the home prohibition for the wngman
ms and all the current slogans catchword and ehe of
the promoter type of American business opinions
ns illogical and contradictory miscellany stereotype phrases
gathered from columns associates political
speeches advertising Rotary has through
than involved the bland cheating cky ethics on
the parasitic fringe of dustram He upright
getc fellow with pd
attained by it, namely model modern goes
with from plumbing pana from servants to
children He the pathetic average class male human
being Mr. Claire Briggs and mpa
tetic humOr Happens the Best of Regulated Fam
hes and Nlr and Mrs. He is indeed measure of
including fact is what gives To Mr. 1es,s r
OF George F. Babbitt human warmth and reality.
The story that "Babbt" revelation and infer
Oh tne times Babb weares successful business
weary Of office routine and the accumulation
his energies long, however making money that he
has learned satisfactory leisure The undeatnp
fixed forms suburban and the inanes of cb
life bore him. time less than repetious buying and selling He
mas had earn his living by his wits depend
upon ms NINA Tor whatever outlet he has for his creative impulses
IN play as in work And he play His efforts at
are pahe nfan He frustrated unhappy hungers
that he wants He is bdsb1v at f aa o0n & Know wnat 1t
q
1eeb comonpac greeted with and as
iea skill His security his success has crown
placid and unnteresng maony mature uatacte and nxcng
In his discomfort he begins aggrieved sense of having
been by the emotional experience that i b %
de seeks tmidy and evavey Training and scru
pies weigh upon him pathetica and Babbts baed
ana frightened adventures conceived an ron
situation and has realized with beauty power Babb has
% the imagination nor the courage to make of his seeking anything
% futile gropng wherein he umbe, hurres
back to the uhazardous comfort respecabl
But the story Babb important than the jeu which
of in any novel, Here he has saric relief all the ]
nanes and contradictions thought in American
! Of delight such passages these: 'NNA'''
[ ousjke conduct of its affairs What business admin
glad hear that hear you say that,
and m % I now you'd feel about it, with all colleges
this present nueis neither college President nor lot Of ;s
sn affairs but that
Will give us chance have something decent turnover"
or r Babb is reading the telling Mrs Babbt
fellow D va sSs bee ] 4 bsha% psa GnS demanded MAJ that this Mick
with German gold got no business nterfn b S @ @
any er 10felgn government Keep stricly off, And
tnees another welauthenicated
hne It's beyond me why step in there and kick those
Bolshevik ~ " ~ anu A'A oa0Se
The bad logic of eve business Interfering with on ~
onment and Its beyond why tbero .nd
oheVk euses out never the Rabbits for neither
sentiment the result of their
s'ed noons from varying sources 1t Mr. ability to SEIZE ~
these material
gives his novel critical significance which
humorous He has caught perhaps better anybody else tho ]
idiom of the American from the FnC1b 49,
but in texture and "Babbtt" for that reason
its history of ~
@""0i40@
l0rceo checked
10 ong out badly
of
A"o 0
books o ies
more 'neg were