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I have for myself no conceivable complaint to make, and yet for American literature in general, and its standing in a country where industrialism and finance and science flourish and the only arts that are vital and respected are architecture and the film, I have a considerable complaint.

Sinclair Lewis

He who has seen one cathedral ten times has seen something; he who has seen ten cathedrals once has seen but little; and he who has spent half an hour in each of a hundred cathedrals has seen nothing at all.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Cathedral Little One Seem Something Spent Time
Fine, large, meaningless, general terms like romance and business can always be related. They take the place of thinking, and are highly useful to optimists and lecturers.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Always Business Fine General Large Meaningless Relate Romance Term
A sensational event was changing from the brown suit to the gray the contents of his pockets. He was earnest about these objects. They were of eternal importance, like baseball or the Republican Party.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Brown Change Content Event Object Pocket Sensational Suit Warn
Thus Carol hit upon the tragedy of old age, which is not that it is less vigorous than youth, but that it is not needed by youth.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Age Hit Less Need Old People Person Tragedy Upon Vigorous Youth
if men and women would be human beings instead of just business men, or plumbers, or army officers, or commuters, or educators, or authors, or clubwomen, or traveling salesmen, or Socialists, or Republicans, or Salvation Army leaders, or wearers of cloths.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Army Being Business Commuter Human Leader Men Officer Plumber Rotary Salesmen Salvation Travel Wearers
In everything was the spirit of children’s play – not the rule-ridden, time-killing play of adults that is a preparation for death, but the busy and credulous play of children that is a preparation for life.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Adult Children Death Everything Kill Play Preparation Ridden Rule Spirit Time
We’d get sick on too many cookies, but ever so much sicker on no cookies at all.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

All Cookies Ever May Sick Sicker Too
I, being a revolutionist, know exactly what I want — and what I want now is a drink.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Drink Exactly Now Revolution Want
The middle class, that prisoner of the barbarian 20th century.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Barbarian Century Class Middle Prisoner Twentieth
Good Lord, I don’t know what ‘rights’ a man has! And I don’t know the solution of boredom. If I did, I’d be the one philosopher that had the cure for living. But I do know that about ten times as many people find their lives dull, and unnecessarily dull.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Boredom Dull Good Know Live Lord Many People Philosopher Right Solution Unnecessarily
I was brought up to believe that the Christian God wasn’t a scared and compromising public servant, but the creator of the whole merciless truth, and I reckon that training spoiled me – I actually took my teachers seriously!
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Believe Brought Christianity Compromise Creator God Merciless Public Scare Servant Truth Whole
His name was George F. Babbitt, and . . . he was nimble in the calling of selling houses for more than people could afford to pay.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Afford Call Country House More Name Nimble Pay People Person Sell
In protest, I declined election to the National Institute of Arts and Letters some years ago, and now I must decline the Pulitzer Prize.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Ago Art Decline Election Institute Letter National Price Protest Some Year
Most of us who work — or want to work — will always have trouble or discontent. So we must learn to be calm, and train all our faculties, and make others happy.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Discontent Facilities Happy Learn Make Most Other Tarin Trouble Work
Funny how the world always praises its opera-singers so much and pays ’em so well and then starves its shoemakers, and yet it needs good shoes so much more than it needs opera–or war or fiction.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Always Fiction Funny Much Need Opera Praise Pray Shoemaker Singer So Strive War Well World
Unhappy women are given to protecting their sensitiveness by cynical gossip, by whining, by high-church and new-thought religions, or by a fog of vagueness.
SINCLAIR LEWIS

Critical Given Gossip Protect Sensitiveness Unhappy Women

I have for myself no conceivable complaint to make, and yet for American literature in general, and its standing in a country where industrialism and finance and science flourish and the only arts that are vital and respected are architecture and the film, I have a considerable complaint.

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I have for myself no conceivable complaint to make, and yet for American literature in general, and its standing in a country where industrialism and finance and science flourish and the only arts that are vital and respected are architecture and the film, I have a considerable complaint.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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