"Alice Adams" is a compelling novel written by Booth Tarkington, a renowned American author and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. This story revolves around the life of Alice Adams, a young and aslo ambitious woman from a lower-middle-class family living in the fictional town of Zenith. Despite her humble background, Alice dreams of social advancement and strives to fit into the upper echelons of society. She yearns to escape the limitations of her family's financial constraints and gain acceptance among the town's elite. As ...
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"Alice Adams" is a compelling novel written by Booth Tarkington, a renowned American author and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. This story revolves around the life of Alice Adams, a young and aslo ambitious woman from a lower-middle-class family living in the fictional town of Zenith. Despite her humble background, Alice dreams of social advancement and strives to fit into the upper echelons of society. She yearns to escape the limitations of her family's financial constraints and gain acceptance among the town's elite. As the narrative unfolds, Alice's aspirations lead her to various social events and gatherings. However, her efforts to impress others often result in awkward situations and also disappointment. Despite her genuine charm and good intentions and also Alice struggles to navigate the complexities of social etiquette and the expectations of her new acquaintances. Throughout the novel, Tarkington skillfully explores themes of class distinctions, societal expectations, and the pursuit of personal happiness. As Alice grapples with her desire to belong and be loved for who she is, readers witness her growth and maturation as a character. "Alice Adams" is a poignant and also honest portrayal of the human desire for acceptance and the challenges faced by those seeking to transcend their circumstances.
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Tarkington writes about small town Indiana in the early Twentieth Century better than anyone. Alice Adams is an ambitious social climber, but coming from a poor family it's a hard climb. A handsome young man of 'good quality' is attracted to Alice, but she can't be herself. She must make up stories to put her and her family in a better ligh... t. When her father's business venture develops into a scandal, she sees the error of her ways and faces her future with her head held high while remaining loyal to her family. This was a very enjoyable read...
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GypsyLee
Jun 25, 2009
An underrated classic-
An underrated classic, pure Americana- warts and all. Proof yet again that a good contemporary novel beats a ?historical? one any day. The kind of book you?ll want to have on your shelf, to read again.
Tarkington was very much a product of his time, and his language reflects this. Translation: the novel contains racist terms and cha... racterizations which, interestingly enough, only serve to reinforce its original premise: the ugliness of the ?class system? of early 20th century America, and the utter futility of one outsider?s struggle to bluff her way into its upper stratum. Blind to her own prejudices, the heroine is painfully sensitive to the treatment she receives as an outsider; contrast this with her brother, far more egalitarian in his associations, yet so discouraged by hisown clear-sightedness that he makes a classic error. The African-Americans in the story provide a resonant counterpoint: despite the ?minstrelization? of their characters, they have the collective effect of a Greek chorus, which I believe was the author?s intention, though I am not one of those who claim he did not himself buy into the bigotries he depicted. Put another way, Yes: Tarkington did in fact intend these characters to be ?clownish?; to have the effect (collectively) without the eerie dignity (individually or otherwise) of the classical Greek chorus.
Time, in my opinion, has had the last laugh.
My advice: hold your nose (over spots) and read it anyway. If you haven?t seen the 1935 Hollywood (-ending) version with Katherine Hepburn ? don?t bother (misses the point).
Now, if Spike Lee wanted to take a shot at it?
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