- Paperback: 376 pages
- Publisher: University of Illinois Press; Reprint edition (Dec 16 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0252071131
- ISBN-13: 978-0252071133
- Product Dimensions: 20.7 x 14.1 x 2.1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 426 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #200,881 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
A familiar midwestern novel in the tradition of Sherwood Anderson and Sinclair Lewis, "The Turmoil" was the best-selling novel of 1915. It is set in a small, quiet city - never named but closely resembling the author's hometown of Indianapolis - that is quickly being transformed into a bustling, money-making nest of competitors more or less overrun by 'the worshippers of Bigness'. 'There is a midland city in the heart of fair, open country, a dirty and wonderful city nesting dingily in the fog of its own smoke', begins "The Turmoil", the first volume of Pulitzer Prize-winner Booth Tarkington's "Growth" trilogy. A narrative of loss and change, a love story, and a warning about the potential evils of materialism, the book chronicles two midwestern families trying to cope with the onset of industrialization. Tarkington believed that culture could flourish even as the country was increasingly fueled by material progress. "The Turmoil", the first great success of his career, tells the intertwined stories of two families: the Sheridans, whose integrity wanes as their wealth increases, and the Vertrees, who remain noble but impoverished. Linked by the romance between a Sheridan son and a Vertrees daughter, the story of the two families provides a dramatic view of what America was like on the verge of a new order. An introduction by Lawrence R. Rodgers places the novel squarely in the social and cultural context of the Progressive Era. The book also features illustrations by C. E. Chambers.
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THERE is a midland city in the heart of fair, open country, a dirty and wonderful city nesting dingily in the fog of its own smoke. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
THERE is a midland city in the heart of fair, open country, a dirty and wonderful city nesting dingily in the fog of its own smoke. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Growth,
By
This review is from: The Turmoil (Paperback)
"The Turmoil" by Booth Tarkington, was the first novel in what would become the "Growth" trilogy. Originally published in 1915, "The Turmoil" takes place in a fictional mid-west city which is never named, but which is probably modeled on Indianapolis. The name of the trilogy is appropriate, not only because these novels deal with the growth in the country, and the affect of industrialization on society, but also with Tarkington's growth as a writer which appears to have come from his taking time off after writing "The Guest of Quesnay" and resulted in novels that were much fresher and more innovative.The focus of the novel is on the Sheridan family, which has recently come to wealth through the strong business practices of the father (James), who puts his business before everything else. Other members of the family are the weak wife, the eldest son James Jr. (i.e. Jim) - who is being groomed to replace his father, the middle child Roscoe - who is being treated like a runner-up, a daughter Edith - who is pushing to make the family part of society, and the youngest son Bibbs - who is a disappointment to his father, because he has a much different outlook on what is important in life. It is Bibbs who is the main character of the novel. Other key characters include Sibyl Sheridan - the wife of Roscoe, Bobby Lamhorn - the love interest of Edith, and Mary Vertreese, the daughter of the Vertreese family, which is an old and prestigious family in the area, but one which is keeping up appearances as they are almost without money. There are still some issues with the racial interaction between the Sheridans and their servants which some will find offensive. That being said, this novel doesn't feel as dated as some of Tarkington's other works, though it is clearly a piece representative of the period in which it was written. The challenges that face Bibbs, and the changes he goes through are like a mini-representation of the changes facing the country with the impact of industrialization. The transformation of Bibbs is an interesting one, and doesn't follow the path one would expect. For a while, it looks as if Bibbs way of life would come out as the strongest, as tragedy and circumstances cause big changes in the Sheridan family. But Tarkington doesn't allow things to be that easy, and instead Bibbs changes his ways to take on the role that his father needs. There is certainly sadness when Bibbs makes the break from his old interests, but his transformation is a strong one, and while he couldn't have survived in this new life at the start of the novel, at the end he thrives. Another interesting aspect of the novel is the difference between the old prestigious family, the Vertreeses, and the new powerful and wealthy family, the Sheridans. The Vertreeses are trying to hide the desperate financial condition of their family, and the pairing of their daughter to James Sheridan Jr. is seen by Mr. and Mrs. Vertreese as a necessary evil to get them out of their difficulties. Initially Mary Vertreese is willing to go along with her role, but it is the impact that Bibbs has on her that changes her mind and has her change her mind. As the novel continues, it is clear that it is Mary and Bibbs that are drawn to each other, though they are not willing to admit it, especially Bibbs. Tarkington takes no position of what is right or wrong in the conflict between the old and the new, or the industrialization of society. He treats it as simply a change which is inevitable and one which is going to have impact on society and the family. I don't believe this is the best writing that Tarkington had done in his career up to this point, though it is close. On the other hand, it is among the best of his story concepts thus far, and the continuation of that "Growth" concept would earn him the Pultizer Prize for "The Magnificent Ambersons" a few years later. I'm rounding this one up to four stars.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid Tarkington,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Turmoil (Hardcover)
Tarkington manages to cram an East of Eden epic into 350 pages. The story begins with the sallow and sickly Bibbs coming home from a sanitarium. He has been placed there because of his nerves. His father, known as Sheridan, is the leading capitalist in the bustling Indiana town and his other two sons are at the helm of his money making machine. Sheridan despises his son for being weak. Bibbs, is a poet and dislikes work. He is very smart and not interested in making money. He'd rather write and think. The primary focus of the story is his rehabilitation. He discovers his next door neighbor, Mary, and falls in love with her (typical Tarkington romance). His father forces him into the company's "inner" works were he is forced to work at a noisy machine all day. He dislikes what capitalism and greed has done, noting the heavy smog in the air (ashes come down like snow) and the problems of capitalism. However he grows stronger and we find him to be a very capable man. The "turmoil" is Bibbs finding a balance between working and "living." Tarkington almost comes off as a Sinclair Lewis or Ellen Glasgow at times, but overall there is a LOT going on in this novel, which carries it along extremely well. I wasn't that happy with the ending, as I didn't think Bibbs had found a compromise but rather an acceptance of his fate. One of the best Tarkington books I've read, though.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Business 1, Art 0 (Game still in progress),
By Bomojaz - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Turmoil (The Works of Booth Tarkington) (Library Binding)
This novel is about how the artistic soul is sacrificed on the altar of big business. Except in this case the artist willingly makes the sacrifice and has no regrets afterward. Thus, the novel can't be counted a tragedy. John Sheridan lives by one mantra: Bigger is better. He owns the Sheridan Pump Works and is determined to make it an industrial giant. He brings his two oldest sons into the business only to see them fail. His youngest son, Bibbs, is sickly and dreams of becoming a writer. But his father won't hear of it and puts him to work in the company, too. Surprisingly, Bibbs thrives in this setting and pushes the company onto ever greater levels of success. His fiancé is appalled that he would go along with his father's wishes, but Bibbs assures her he never would have made it as a writer and he made the right decision. It's a surprising development: one expects Bibbs to stand up to his father and declare his artistic endeavors more important. But I think Tarkington is being realistic here, and he is careful to develop Bibbs's character so that we can see him appreciate the usefulness his life takes on from the emptiness he'd known before because of his illness. Tarkington was not afraid to praise big business, though he also knew what to criticize about it, too (one thing he was quick to point out was how it spoiled natural beauty). If John Sheridan could declare, "Wealth! I will get wealth! I will make Wealth! I will sell Wealth for more Wealth," his son Bibbs could remark on how his father had served business blindly while he, Bibbs, believed "If man would let me [business] serve him, I should be beautiful." There is no irony intended in this, just a statement of belief. The first volume in a trilogy on industrialism, it's an interesting work.
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