It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of It Can't Happen Here
Book Review: I clenched my teeth while reading
Summary: 5 Stars
hubby said I was extra cranky while reading this but man-o-man it was easy to get into the spirit. We just happened to watched "the pianist" right before I started reading and I thought it tied nicely into the theme of how people react under threat of mass extermination. other reviewers did a good job so I won't say anything else. Highly recommended.Book Review: It Can't?
Summary: 4 Stars
"If the people of a democracy are allowed to do so, they will vote away the freedoms which are essential to that democracy." - Snell Putney
Most of what Sinclair Lewis wrote since he won the Nobel Prize isn't worth reading. It Can't Happen Here is a notable exception, perhaps the only one. The "It" in the title refers to a fascist regime taking over the United States. The easy reply is that it HAS happened here; proving so is a bit more challenging. Very well then, let's.
One of Lewis' traits is to date every book he writes; another is to inject real people into his fictional stories. Both habits reduce his timeless commentary and observations to period pieces, which may be why his books aren't much read any more.
The story starts in 1936, when fascism had already invaded several European countries, and threatened to spread. It follows a small-town newspaper editor through the U. S. presidential election campaign and its aftermath. Berzelius Windrip ("Buzz" to his friends, "Buzzard" to his detractors) wins the election by promising immediate relief from the economic depression, and immediately clamps down. His followers, dubbed "Minute Men", enforce Windrip's various whims.
Those who express opposing viewpoints are treated as enemies of the regime, and are jailed, or worse. When the prisons become full, concentration camps open. Executions multiply exponentially. Soon, enemies are found within the ranks, and the dictatorship starts feeding on itself. Two coups later, the military has taken over, and war against an easy victim is declared.
Meanwhile, an underground resistance is formed. Initially, it's easily infiltrated and quashed, but as the military demands more and more men, internal policing is diluted, and resistance is, if not completely uninhibited, at least easier to accomplish.
The novel invites comparisons to today's political situation:
Does the successful candidate who promised a better economy deliver a worse one? Naturally.
Is the President a mere front for more sinister interests? Accurate.
Are judges replaced with cronies? Legally.
Do vicious thugs enforce laws, some of which exist? Check.
Do loyal Brown Shirt types do the dirty work? Bush uses entrenched government enforcement personnel for that. The closest private equivalent would be rabid talk show hosts.
Does mindless patriotism mask far deeper problems? Perhaps you've noticed.
Travel restrictions? Got 'em.
Are spies everywhere? Not in human form. Orwell foresaw the ubiquitous cameras.
Are old books burned? Christians certainly host such bonfires, and libraries and universities keep their collections "current", but old books can still be found in private collections and used book stores. On the other hand, since the September 11 terrorist attacks, publishers have been shying away from letting "controversial" topics become new books.
Is free speech restricted? You bet.
Are newspapers and other media also restricted? Not necessary - since they've become government, religious and corporate mouthpieces, they censor themselves.
The inevitable war? More than one.
Concentration camps with sadistic guards? Only for foreigners. So far.
Has government provoked paranoia? Why do you ask?
Is human life cheapened, degraded, and expendable? Except for fetuses. Once you're born, you're a target.
Yikes! Does Dubya stand for Windrip?
Some of the parallels weren't new when this book was written. Entertainment as news became big business during the Roaring Twenties. Splitting families apart occurred during the misnamed Civil War. Depending on that vague yet reliable Someone Else to thwart those dastardly Bad Guys is as old as America. And government has always been run by low-lifes.
There are also some differences. Windrip abolished Congress, but Bush has a partisan Congress to do his bidding. Windrip was popular enough that he didn't have to commit election fraud. Bush has yet to be overthrown. And in Lewis' book, the dictator came from the Democratic Party, while the Republicans are the good guys - imagine that.
Still, the similarities far outnumber the discrepancies, and indicate that the United States is on the fast track to fascism, if it's not already arrived. You might try to find and read It Can't Happen Here - before all known copies are burned.
Book Review: It can happen anywhere
Summary: 5 Stars
Good read of how any democracy can be subverted into a fascist state. Not just "thinking Americans", but all thinking people should read this book.Book Review: ONLY BECAUSE I HAD TOO..
Summary: 2 Stars
I ONLY READ THIS BOOK B/C I HAD TO FOR ONE OF MY MANY ENGLISH COURSES, AND IT WAS EXTREMLEY BORING! MAYBE B/C I JUST IM NOT ATTRACTED TO BOOKS ABOUT POLITICS, AND IN THIS CASE FASCHISM.I'LL GIVE LEWIS THE CREDIT FOR PREDICTING WHATS ALREADY SEEMING TO HAPPEN IN 2006 U.S.A, BUT THIS BOOK IS PRETTY DANG BORIN'...SORRYBook Review: Revealing the subtleties of Fascism
Summary: 4 Stars
Sinclair Lewis' greatest achievement with "It Can't Happen Here" is his ability to reflect the subtle holds that Fascism can take in an otherwise rational and democratic country. Each step of the plot, no matter how seemingly insignificant or unrelated, contributes to the inevitable political conclusion. As the story progresses, it gradually becomes clearer to the reader how our individual prejudices and selfish desires can collectively turn us against the very freedom America prides itself upon. Fascism is here viewed as an implosion of American culture: the weight of mass media, of the desire for security and comfort, and of endemic nationalism caves in at the touch of a charismatic politician. Lewis exposes the weaknesses in our country's foundations; he shows a careful yet precarious balance of society and politics where we otherwise think we are solid. As others have noted, this book preceded the rise of Nazism in Europe. It is a testament to Lewis' grasp of fascism that much of his novel was mirrored in the chaotic climate of 1930's Germany and Italy.
Where the book falters, however, is in some of its more outlandish caricatures of the villains, including orgies, bed-time assassins, and overwrought speeches. Despite the power of these metaphors, they weaken the plausibility of "it can happen here." Nonetheless, this novel serves as an excellent warning against the dangers of cults of personality and of mob mentality. I strongly recommend "It Can't Happen Here" to remind anyone that the freedom of thought should not be taken for granted.