Elmer Gantry

The 1927 novel Elmer Gantry, from renowned American author Sinclair Lewis, follows the charismatic Elmer Gantry as he rises through the ranks of 1920's American evangelism. Finding the legal profession too stringent in ethics, Elmer decides to try his hand as a religious preacher. Using his good looks and oratory skill, he manages to become a successful Baptist minister, despite his alcoholism, corruption, and constant, unapologetic sexual sin. For research, Sinclair Lewis spent countless hours interviewing ministers and attending church services in Middle America. Created as an indictment of the hypocrisy and moral rot of American fundamentalism, Elmer Gantry caused a public fervor against Lewis, including being banned in many cities across the US. Nonetheless, it was the best-selling work of fiction for 1927, and received numerous adaptations over the decades.