Arrowsmith

Credits and rights

Original writer

Sinclair Lewis

Publisher of this edition

BoingyBooks Classics

Original publisher

Project Gutenberg

Adaptation credits

John Shoufler / BoingyBooks Classics — digital edition

Original source / edition

Arrowsmith (1925)

License

Public Domain

License link

https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

Rights and adaptation notice

This work is in the public domain. John Shoufler published this digital edition through BoingyBooks Classics. The original work remains public domain and may be copied, adapted, and shared.

Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis (1925)

Martin Arrowsmith, an idealistic young doctor, battles against commercial medicine, institutional politics, and his own ambition to pursue pure scientific research. Lewis' most sympathetic novel and his tribute to the scientific spirit.

Historical Significance:
Published in 1925, Arrowsmith was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction — which Lewis famously declined, saying the prize was awarded not for the best novel but for the one that "best presents the wholesome atmosphere of American life." Lewis' refusal was a deliberate provocation that made national headlines. The novel was written with extensive research assistance from bacteriologist Paul de Kruif, giving it scientific accuracy rare in fiction. It remains the most beloved American novel about medicine and science, inspiring generations of young people to pursue research careers.

This public domain classic was originally published in 1925. Free to read and share.