Welcome to our collection of insightful quotes by Sinclair Lewis, a prominent American novelist and playwright. Sinclair Lewis, born in 1885, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1930, making him the first American to receive this prestigious honor. Throughout his prolific career, Lewis wrote numerous works that tackled social, political, and cultural issues prevalent in early 20th-century America.
Renowned for his keen observations and satirical wit, Sinclair Lewis delved into the complexities of human nature and society with a sharp eye. His novels, including Main Street, Babbitt, and Elmer Gantry, captured the essence of American life, exposing the contradictions and hypocrisies of the time. Lewis’s writing style, marked by biting humor and incisive commentary, continues to resonate with readers, offering timeless insights into the human condition.
Below, you’ll find a selection of Sinclair Lewis quotes that encapsulate his keen understanding of society and human behavior. Whether you seek inspiration, reflection, or a glimpse into the past, these quotes serve as poignant reminders of Lewis’s enduring legacy and his enduring relevance in the literary world.
Our American professors like their literature clear and cold and pure and very dead. Sinclair Lewis
People will buy anything that is ‘one to a customer.’ Sinclair Lewis
There are two insults no human being will endure: that he has no sense of humor, and that he has never known trouble. Sinclair Lewis
Pugnacity is a form of courage, but a very bad form. Sinclair Lewis
Advertising is a valuable economic factor because it is the cheapest way of selling goods, particularly if the goods are worthless. Sinclair Lewis
The middle class, that prisoner of the barbarian 20th century. Sinclair Lewis
Winter is not a season, it’s an occupation. Sinclair Lewis
When audiences come to see us authors lecture, it is largely in the hope that we’ll be funnier to look at than to read. Sinclair Lewis
What is love? It is the morning and the evening star. Sinclair Lewis
Damn the great executives, the men of measured merriment, damn the men with careful smiles oh, damn their measured merriment. 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
Every compulsion is put upon writers to become safe, polite, obedient, and sterile. Sinclair Lewis
Intellectually I know that America is no better than any other country; emotionally I know she is better than every other country. Sinclair Lewis
Whatever poet, orator or sage may say of it, old age is still old age. Sinclair Lewis