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It Can't Happen Here

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It Can't Happen Here

By: Sinclair Lewis
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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About this listen

First published in 1935, when Americans were still largely oblivious to the rise of Hitler in Europe, this prescient novel tells a cautionary tale about the fragility of democracy and offers an alarming, eerily timeless look at how fascism could take hold in America.

Doremus Jessup, a newspaper editor, is dismayed to find that many of the people he knows support presidential candidate Berzelius Windrip. The suspiciously fascist Windrip is offering to save the nation from sex, crime, welfare cheats, and a liberal press. But after Windrip wins the election, dissent soon becomes dangerous for Jessup. Windrip forcibly gains control of Congress and the Supreme Court and, with the aid of his personal paramilitary storm troopers, turns the United States into a totalitarian state.

©1935 Sinclair Lewis. © renewed 1963 by Michael Lewis (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Political Dystopian Science Fiction Liberalism Soviet Union Socialism Russia

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All stars
Most relevant  
It's shocking to see all the similarities. The constant attack to the press, the demagogue discourse, using Mexico as a scape goat. Totally worth reading.

It's funny though how in a book that talks about censorship to the point of burning books the swear words are censored. But that's my only criticism to this production.

Not Trump but...

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Well written, well read. Sinclair Lewis's dialogue never disappoints. Scary story, is Buzz Windrip Trump?

Scary echoes of today

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Brilliant reading by Grover Gardner of this classic book. I presume this really is the author at his best as its hard to imagine a better or more prescient work of cautionary fiction. Lewis takes the event of fascist Europe in the early 1930's and imagines how such events might unfold in the USA. His characters, the descriptive passages, and the unfolding of the narrative are masterful. And anyone who gives the name Doremus Jessop to the most important and heroic character in the book must have had a pretty sharp sense of humour. I don't know if Sinclair Lewis was known as America's answer to George Orwell but I can see why that would be so appropriate. I was indeed reminded of Orwell by the ease with which the author captures one's attention and leads you effortlessly through to the end.

Sinclair Lewis - America's George Orwell

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A chillingly prescient warning about democracy’s fragility. Despite being close to a century old it reads like a blueprint for modern authoritarianism; eerily reflecting recent political shifts. Its depiction of media manipulation and civil liberties’ erosion feels disturbingly relevant today. Definitely check it out if you haven’t.

Could have been written with a crystal ball.

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Fascinating story, especially when you consider when it was written. Narrator is very good also

Fascinating and foresightful

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Really spooky how closely this book mirrors Americas current state. It probably needs to be required reading in classrooms, possibly as non—fiction.

Non-fiction

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the author 's genius is in how close his narrative matches today's world. This is a necessary read.

the eerie similarity with today's world...

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Given when this was written (1930’s) this is an astonishing book and is really a reader for today’s ills in many countries, including the US and UK. Actually this would be an interesting book on any political course.

Recommend

Astonishing

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Worth a listen, doesn't hold together perfectly these days but still a few gems and warnings that should be heeded.

Timely

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I struggled to get into the story at first, but once I increased the listening speed to 1.25x, it became far more engaging. The writing style feels dated by today’s standards, yet there’s something unsettlingly apt about it. The narrator’s tone captures perfectly how a society can sleepwalk into an uncertain — and often dangerous — future. Worth perusing to see how Trump’s vision of the future may play out?! God help us all!!

Undeniably prophetic!

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