The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington

This excellent novel has many facets. It is the engrossing story of George Amberson Minafer, the spoiled heir-apparent of the richest family in a Midwestern Town just after the turn of the last century. It is also a nostalgic and sentimental remembrance of a slower and more elegant time, when well-to-do young people courted by taking carriage and sleigh rides, attending frequent formal dances, and writing letters. Finally, it is an examination of how "progress" and the changes it brings affect society as a whole, and can, in fact, bring an entire way of life to an end.

If Tarkington had ignored the last two aspects of the novel, this would still have been a compulsive read, because of his skill in delineating the character of George, who is so insufferably prideful and arrogant that many who know him long for the day "when that boy would get his come-upance." Yet, the reader still feels some sympathy for George, because Tarkington reveals that his actions have been almost predetermined by his family members, particularly his mother, who "just fell down and worshipped him from the day he was born." If nothing else, this novel contains a powerful lesson about spoiling a child and letting him believe that he can do no wrong and is the center of the universe.

In many ways this novel is somewhat dated, particularly in the tone, which is somewhat humorous and mocking, but in a very fond way, as one would talk nostalgically about a beloved dead family member, remembering faults and eccentricities along with admirable qualities. This is not a tone I see in today's novels.

In another way, this novel is very pertinent today, because once again America has gone through a "revolution." The Industrial Revolution and its most obvious product, the automobile, changed George Amberson's world. The Information Revolution and its most obvious product, the computer, has changed our world. In George's world, the change led not only to the disappearance of the horse and carriage, but also to a change in society as a whole. In our new information world, many of the old aspects of society are also passing away. Can we adapt, keep up?

Back to the plot of the novel for a moment: the ending seems weak, almost as if an editor had said, "Booth, you must have a happy ending." A very strong plot and strong characterization seem to fall through in the last pages.

Still, highly recommended. This is #100 on the Modern Library list