Free Air: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|1919 novel by Sinclair Lewis}} |
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{{Infobox book |
{{Infobox book |
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| name |
| name = Free Air |
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| image |
| image = File:FreeAirSinclairLewis.jpg |
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| caption = |
| caption = First edition cover |
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| author |
| author = [[Sinclair Lewis]] |
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| country |
| country = United States |
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| language |
| language = English |
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| genre |
| genre = [[Road novel]] |
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| publisher |
| publisher = |
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| release_date |
| release_date = 1919 |
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| media_type |
| media_type = Print (hardback & paperback) |
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| pages |
| pages = 370 pp |
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| isbn = NA & (reissue ISBN 0-8032-7943-4) |
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}} |
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== Plot summary == |
== Plot summary == |
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{{expand section}} |
{{expand section|date=October 2013}} |
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This cheerful little road novel, published in 1919, is about Claire Boltwood, who, in the early days of the 20th century, travels by |
"This cheerful little road novel, published in 1919, is about Claire Boltwood, who, in the early days of the 20th century, travels by automobile from New York City to the Pacific Northwest, where she falls in love with a nice, down-to-earth young man and gives up her snobbish Estate." (From the Book Stub) |
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From a critical perspective, ''Free Air'' is consistent with Sinclair Lewis's lean towards egalitarian politics, which he displays in his other works (most notably in ''[[It Can't Happen Here]]''). Examples of his politics in ''Free Air'' are found in Lewis's emphasis on the heroic role played by the book's protagonist, Milt Dagget, a working |
From a critical perspective, ''Free Air'' is consistent with Sinclair Lewis's lean towards [[Egalitarianism|egalitarian politics]], which he displays in his other works (most notably in ''[[It Can't Happen Here]]''). Examples of his politics in ''Free Air'' are found in Lewis's emphasis on the heroic role played by the book's protagonist, Milt Dagget, a working-class everyman type. Conversely, Lewis presents nearly every upper-class character in Claire Boltwood's world (including her railroad-mogul father) as snobby elitists. The story also champions the democratic nature of the automobile versus the more aristocratic railroad travel. Lewis's emphasis on the freedom that automobiles would eventually give the working and middle classes bolsters the egalitarian, democratic aesthetic. ''Free Air'' is one of the first novels about the road trip, a subject around which the [[Beat generation|Beats]] (most notably [[Jack Kerouac]]) would build a cult following in the mid-20th century. |
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Composer [[Ferde Grofe]] used the novel as the basis for the music to his adventurous composition ''Free Air.'' |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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* {{Gutenberg|no=26732|name=Free Air}} |
* {{Gutenberg|no=26732|name=Free Air}} |
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* {{librivox book | title=Free Air | author=Sinclair LEWIS}} |
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{{Sinclair Lewis}} |
{{Sinclair Lewis}} |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:1919 American novels]] |
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[[Category:1919 novels]] |
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[[Category:Novels by Sinclair Lewis]] |
[[Category:Novels by Sinclair Lewis]] |
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[[Category:Northwestern United States in fiction]] |
[[Category:Northwestern United States in fiction]] |
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Latest revision as of 10:11, 27 December 2024
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (October 2013) |
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Sinclair Lewis |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Road novel |
Publication date | 1919 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 370 pp |
Free Air is a 1919 novel written by Sinclair Lewis. A silent film adaptation of the novel was also released on April 30, 1922. The film starred Tom Douglas as Milt Daggett and Marjorie Seaman as Claire Boltwood.
Plot summary
[edit]![[icon]](/enwiki/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2013) |
"This cheerful little road novel, published in 1919, is about Claire Boltwood, who, in the early days of the 20th century, travels by automobile from New York City to the Pacific Northwest, where she falls in love with a nice, down-to-earth young man and gives up her snobbish Estate." (From the Book Stub)
From a critical perspective, Free Air is consistent with Sinclair Lewis's lean towards egalitarian politics, which he displays in his other works (most notably in It Can't Happen Here). Examples of his politics in Free Air are found in Lewis's emphasis on the heroic role played by the book's protagonist, Milt Dagget, a working-class everyman type. Conversely, Lewis presents nearly every upper-class character in Claire Boltwood's world (including her railroad-mogul father) as snobby elitists. The story also champions the democratic nature of the automobile versus the more aristocratic railroad travel. Lewis's emphasis on the freedom that automobiles would eventually give the working and middle classes bolsters the egalitarian, democratic aesthetic. Free Air is one of the first novels about the road trip, a subject around which the Beats (most notably Jack Kerouac) would build a cult following in the mid-20th century.
In the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, set initially in 1920, Jimmy and his girlfriend Pearl are reading Free Air. The 18-year-old Chicago prostitute Pearl hopes to head West like the heroine, along with Jimmy.
See also
[edit]
Works related to Free Air at Wikisource
External links
[edit]- Free Air at Project Gutenberg
Free Air public domain audiobook at LibriVox
 | This article about a 1910s novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page. |