Renaissance Readers: "Arrowsmith" by Sinclair Lewis

Renaissance Readers meet at 10:00 am on the second Tuesday of each month.

This month's book selection is Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis.

Arrowsmith, often hailed as the first true "scientific" novel, explores medical and scientific themes through compelling fiction. While Sinclair Lewis was not a physician, his father was, and he collaborated closely with science writer Paul de Kruif, whose contributions lend the novel a striking realism that borders on the biographical.

Published in 1925, the novel anticipates the transformative impact of emerging advances in medicine, public health, and immunology. At the same time, it offers a sharp satire of those in the medical and scientific fields who prioritize fame and fortune over truth—a critique that remains relevant today.

Arrowsmith was both a popular and commercial success. Though it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1926, Lewis declined the honor. He later accepted the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first American to receive it.

Any interested reader is invited to join the discussion!