X-Book

Main Street

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app

Listen to a sample

What to expect

When Carol Milford, a young, liberated woman from St. Paul, Minnesota, marries small-town doctor Will Kennicott, she suddenly finds herself transplanted to Gopher Prairie. Horrified by her new home, an ugly backwater community, she decides it's time the town made a few changes.

The story of an idealistic young woman's frustrated attempts to change the set ways of her small town, Main Street has been hailed as one of the essential literary satires of the American scene. An allegory of exile and return, it attacks the complacency and ingrown mores of those who resist change and are under the illusion that they have chosen their tradition. The lonely predicament of Carol Kennicott, caught between her desires for social reform and individual happiness, reflects the position in which America's turn-of-the-century "emancipated woman" found herself. Sinclair Lewis' cutting portrait of the small-minded inhabitants of small-town America is rich with sociological insight that still resonates today.

Critics Review

“A most searching and excellent piece of work; a feather in the cap of literature.”

John Galsworthy

“At once an artifact and a modern classic, its characters’ slang and civic amenities are exotic—their social and personal concerns wholly familiar.”

AudioFile

“Emerson’s narration allows listeners to perfectly visualize ‘emancipated woman’ Carol Kennicott, ‘the girl on the hilltop, credulous, plastic, young, drinking the air as she longed to drink life.’”

Booklist

“Emerson’s pace, tone and style suit the novel. He voices characters and accents, gently parodying only a few. Lewis spins a great story and this classic is still hard hitting.” 

Kliatt
Author Sinclair Lewis
Narrator Brian Emerson
Duration 16 hours and 29 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781483069883
Format Audiobook
Publisher Craig Black
Genre Classic fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE, US

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.