The Sinclair Lewis Library

In which a large, robust young man wrestles with the weighty task of delivering a public address on divine love, borrowing from unexpected sources and the Bible amid the watchful eyes of a devout college community. The episode captures the mingled curiosity, scepticism, and solemn hope of those around him, set against the backdrop of earnest religious fervour and youthful ambition.

In which Elmer Gantry, accompanied by his devoted mother, attends a fervent evangelical meeting where the impassioned oratory and heartfelt hymns sweep him into a spontaneous public conversion before a cheering crowd. Torn between the ecstatic commitment demanded by the gathering and the quiet scepticism of his old friend Jim Lefferts, Elmer wrestles privately with doubt and the uneasy promise of...

In which a robust and magnetic young preacher visits a college Y. M. C. A. gathering, stirring admiration and moral wrestling among the students with his hearty approach to faith and manliness. Meanwhile, Elmer Gantry wrestles with the implications of this visit, his own courage, and familial ties as he prepares to witness the fervour of a big meeting.

In which youthful Elmer Gantry, caught betwixt the earnest zeal of collegiate evangelists and the affectionate yet insistent expectations of his devout mother, finds himself surrounded by a fervent, sometimes overwhelming tide of piety that both intrigues and unsettles him. The chapter unfolds with a blend of religious earnestness, human foibles, and the quaint rituals of prairie church life, pain...

In which the burly and boisterous Elmer Gantry, famed football captain and a man of loud voice and swelling ambition, alternates between restless college life and evenings spent in smoky saloons with his steadfast companion Jim Lefferts, juggling intellectual scepticism and raw emotion. The pair’s escapades lead them beyond the sedate, pious routines of Terwillinger College into the rough-and-tumb...

In which Martin Arrowsmith faces an offer to direct the McGurk Institute, confronting the clash between scientific purity and administrative ambition amidst the persistent urgings of his social circle and his wife. Choosing freedom and the simplicity of his work with Terry Wickett in a rustic laboratory, Martin embarks on a rugged yet passionate quest for discovery, even as personal relationships...

In which Dr. Arrowsmith, feeling bereft without his friend Terry, confronts the discomforts of high society and the estrangement from an old companion whose crude commercial schemes clash with his scientific ideals, while his wife Joyce endeavours to bridge the chasm with thoughtful gestures and a new home laboratory. Yet amid the tensions of friendship lost and domestic unease, Martin clings to t...

In which Martin Arrowsmith navigates the uneasy terrain of scientific ambition and societal expectation, balancing newfound wealth and status with the pressures of institutional demands and personal loyalties. Amidst challenges to his research and a stirring partnership with Terry Wickett, he faces the complexities of career, friendship, and impending family life with a blend of defiance and domes...

In which Martin Arrowsmith returns to New York and tentatively reintegrates into society through visits with Joyce Lanyon, whose wealthy but stifling world both fascinates and unsettles him. Their courtship, marked by awkward adaptations to genteel leisure and unspoken tensions between science and society, leads to marriage and a European journey that deepens their understanding of each other agai...

In which a determined doctor in a tropical parish grapples with the grim advance of plague amid divided experiments and strained human bonds, while personal loss and professional doubt shadow his tireless efforts. The island's eventual relief brings public acclaim even as he wrestles with haunting loneliness and the bittersweet weight of unfulfilled ambitions.

In which Dr Martin Arrowsmith returns to New York after a taxing winter in the Caribbean, where he confronts the tribulations of quarantine, fading acclaim, and the complex politics of scientific recognition. Amidst moments of friendship, rivalry, and relentless self-scrutiny, he immerses himself in rigorous laboratory work that promises precision and clarity, even as the world around him clamours...

In which the Arrowsmith Commission arrives at a quarantined Caribbean island gripped by plague, confronting eerie stillness, fear, and the daunting realities of an epidemic poorly managed by local authorities. They set up a laboratory and witness the harsh measures of rat extermination and public health administration, while the indefatigable Sondelius becomes an unlikely yet effective force again...

In which Dr. Arrowsmith confronts the grim reality of a plague-ridden island, navigating the tangled webs of local authority and scientific rigor to pursue a delicate experiment amidst widespread suffering and scepticism. Secured at the estate of the steadfast Cecil Twyford, he encounters his strikingly similar sister Joyce, whose spirited presence stirs both distraction and introspection as the w...

In which a mysterious and deadly sickness stealthily spreads to the tropical island of St. Hubert, where local politics and complacency impede recognition of the threat, and the rat population flourishes unchecked amid the steamy, sun-drenched town. The island’s social tapestry, from the weary Governor to the contentious legislators and the habitués of the Ice House bar, quietly braces against an...

In which the weighty business of combating a spreading plague summons Martin Arrowsmith and his determined but tempestuous companions to the West Indies, stirring a delicate and exacting discourse between science and sentiment beneath the shadow of great expectations. Amidst the low murmurs of island quarantine and the swell of ocean, relationships and resolves are tested as the voyage begins towa...

In which a young bacteriologist’s discovery attracts the eager attention of influential scientists, prompting offers of honour, department leadership, and societal acclaim that both dazzle and unsettle him. Yet amid the clatter of success and expectation, he learns that another has already published the key finding, leading him to reckon quietly with the true nature of scientific work and personal...

In which Martin Arrowsmith, steadfast in his scientific toil amid institutional upheaval, pursues groundbreaking research on phage treatment for pneumonia and plague, confronting both the chaos of leadership changes and the eccentricities of his colleagues. With the unexpected arrival of the irrepressible Gustaf Sondelius as his aide, Arrowsmith navigates the rigours of experimental medicine while...

In which Captain Martin Arrowsmith, burdened by weariness and doubt, makes an unexpected discovery about a mysterious principle in staphylococcus-infected pus that arrests bacterial growth, setting him upon a fervent path of rigorous experimentation and cautious hope. Yet this scientific triumph entangles him in relentless toil and creeping neurasthenia, undercut by the skeptical vigilance of his...

In which Martin Arrowsmith embarks tentatively on his scientific investigations at the McGurk Institute, navigating the rigours of research and the intrigues of its eccentric staff amidst the backdrop of the Great War, all the while confronting the demands of mathematics and the pangs of patriotism. The episode paints a quietly observant tableau of ambition, camaraderie, and the uneasy melding of...

In which Martin Arrowsmith endures a year of mechanical routine at the prestigious Rouncefield Clinic, where his scientific curiosity is stifled by the practical demands and polished socialities of established medical professionals. Amidst this, he and Leora nurture their relationship with tender solidity, while Martin wrestles with his restless ambition and the vexing presence of “men of measured...

In which Martin Arrowsmith arrives at the McGurk Institute in New York, awestruck by its grandeur and plunged into the vibrant, exacting life of scientific research under the critical eye of Max Gottlieb and the watchful director, Dr. Tubbs. Amidst the clash of personalities, the bustle of a devoted staff, and the lure of groundbreaking work, he finds a home for his restless curiosity, balanced by...

In which Martin Arrowsmith, newly appointed Director of Public Health, wrestles with the burdens of bureaucracy, local politics, and scientific inquiry while striving to reform a beleaguered department amid rising opposition and personal strain. His earnest laboratory discoveries and efforts to uphold public welfare collide with the social and political machinations of Nautilus, culminating in a p...

In which the town of Nautilus is stirred to a fever pitch by Dr. Pickerbaugh’s grand Health Fair, a spectacle of earnest displays and earnester controversies that sets the stage for a dazzling yet precarious rise to local glory. Amid the chaos of public praise, pungent rivalry, and the smoke of literal and figurative fires, appointments and ambitions intertwine, revealing the delicate dance of ear...

In which Martin Arrowsmith navigates the complexities of public health administration under the charismatic yet embattled Pickerbaugh, confronting opposition from industry and labour while grappling with his own scientific ideals. Meanwhile, he and Leora find themselves drawn into the affluent social circles of Nautilus, stirring reflections on ambition, appearance, and the varying forms of person...

In which the industrious town of Nautilus embraces a series of exuberant and sometimes curious public health campaigns led by the spirited Almus Pickerbaugh, whose fervent methods both inspire and vex his assistant, Martin Arrowsmith. Amidst the whirl of these civic crusades, Martin wrestles with his own restless heart and moral uncertainties, as he navigates the shifting tides of affection and am...