BabbittBabbitt
Score Classic
What it's about
George F. Babbitt is a successful real estate agent in Zenith, a booming Midwestern city: a member of all the right clubs and a loyal Booster who believes Zenith is the finest example of American life anywhere. But even complacent Babbitt dreams of romance and escape, and when his best friend's life falls apart, he begins, briefly and clumsily, to rebel.
Why it's worth reading
It was one of the ten best-selling books of 1923, it's on the Guardian's list of the 100 best novels in English, and its title became a word for a conformist businessman. It's Sinclair Lewis's sharpest satire of American life.
You'll love it if you liked
Main Street
The Great Gatsby
Revolutionary RoadGood to know
It's a satire, often funny and occasionally sad. Its portrait of booster culture and conformity still feels familiar.
By the numbers
- Readers51 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller37 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #131 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #345 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1162 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
More by Sinclair Lewis
If you like this, read next
The Color Purple
The Caine Mutiny
East of Eden
I, Claudius
A Room of One's Own
Angle of ReposeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Babbitt worth reading?
Yes. It was one of the ten best-selling books of 1923, it's on the Guardian's list of the 100 best novels in English, and its title became a word for a conformist businessman. It ranks #1,162 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Babbitt about?
George F. Babbitt is a successful real estate agent in Zenith, a booming Midwestern city: a member of all the right clubs and a loyal Booster who believes Zenith is the finest example of American life anywhere. But even complacent Babbitt dreams of romance and escape, and when his best friend's life falls apart, he begins, briefly and clumsily, to rebel.
How long does it take to read Babbitt?
About 9 hours (348 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Babbitt?
If you liked it, try Main Street by Sinclair Lewis, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald or Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates.