It Can't Happen Here

Listen to the synopsis of this novel:

 “A cautionary tale about the fragility of democracy, it is an alarming look at how fascism could take hold in America. …Written during a time when the country was largely oblivious to the aggression of (someone like) Hitler, it juxtaposes sharp political satire with the chillingly realistic rise of a president who becomes a dictator to save the nation from welfare cheats, crime and a liberal press…”

You might be thinking, “They published this novel in the three weeks since the Inauguration? Amazing!”

This novel was published in 1935.

It Can’t Happen Here was written by Sinclair Lewis, author of Main Street, Babbit and Arrowsmith, and the blurb on the back finishes with “a shockingly prescient novel that remains as fresh and contemporary as today’s news.”

It has risen to the top of the books at my bedside table. I’ll report back to you when I finish it.