Main StreetMain Street
Score Classic
What it's about
Carol Milford, a lively, idealistic young librarian from St. Paul, marries Will Kennicott, a solid small-town doctor, and moves with him to Gopher Prairie, Minnesota. She's horrified by the town's ugliness, gossip and smugness, and sets out to reform it with culture and new ideas. The town resists her at every turn.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and was a sensation in 1920. Lewis later became the first American to win the Nobel Prize.
You'll love it if you liked
Winesburg, Ohio
The Magnificent Ambersons
Sister CarrieGood to know
It's long and satirical, and Carol can be as annoying as the town.
By the numbers
- Readers9 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller41 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
- #246 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #608 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2124 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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 Main Street worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and was a sensation in 1920. It ranks #2,124 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Main Street about?
Carol Milford, a lively, idealistic young librarian from St. Paul, marries Will Kennicott, a solid small-town doctor, and moves with him to Gopher Prairie, Minnesota. She's horrified by the town's ugliness, gossip and smugness, and sets out to reform it with culture and new ideas. The town resists her at every turn.
How long does it take to read Main Street?
About 11 hours (444 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Main Street?
If you liked it, try Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson, The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington or Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser.