Elmer Gantry (1960) - Sinclair Lewis

Written by Sinclair Lewis
Read by Anthony Heard
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

· Length: 15 hrs and 56 mins
· Release date: 03-06-08
· Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Universally recognized as a landmark in American literature, Elmer Gantry scandalized readers when it was first published, causing Sinclair Lewis to be “invited” to a jail cell in New Hampshire and to his own lynching in Virginia. His portrait of a golden-tongued evangelist who rises to power within his church–a saver of souls who lives a life of duplicity, sensuality, and ruthless self-indulgence–is also the record of a period, a reign of grotesque vulgarity, which but for Lewis would have left no trace of itself. Elmer Gantry has been called the greatest, most vital, and most penetrating study of hypocrisy that has been written since the works of Voltaire

The title character starts out as a greedy, shallow, philandering Baptist minister, turns to evangelism, and eventually becomes the leader of a large Methodist congregation. Throughout the novel, Gantry encounters fellow religious hypocrites. Although often exposed as a fraud, Gantry is never fully discredited.

“The book is extremely energetic, sarcastic, psychologically credible and just plain fun. A thrilling ride from start to finish. The narrator, Anthony Heald, also delivers an outstanding performance. He has a very pleasant voice and an impressive control of accents: apart from the many American voices, the occasional British accents are 100% convincing, and his German accent would almost convince a native speaker”…AudioFile

“I thought this would be dated, even corny, but Elmer could be journeying through some of today’s megachurches, or peddling by turns the gospel of prosperity as a televangelist OR the laws of success as a new age guru. He could have been the architect of the ascendancy and co-opting of the religious right in recent U.S. history as they, like Elmer, proclaimed: “We shall yet make these United States a moral nation!”

Note—the cover picture is Burt Lancaster as Elmer in his 1960 portrayal. It was another win for Burt.