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1920’s Books

Books of the 1920's captured the changes in Society. Authors of the period struggled to understand the changes occuring in society. While some writers praised the changes others expressed disappointment in the passing of the old ways.

Reading was a popular recreational activity especially during the winter months when other forms of activity were limited. Prior to radio and television most people gained knowledge of the wider world and current events through printed material. Consequently books, newspapers and magazines were an important part of most peoples lives and formed a large part of their education. A knowledge of the classics was considered an essential part of a good education.

Magazines of the 1920's are full of short stories or serials (usually illustrated) to entertain their readers as well as articles on fashion, cooking etc.

Books That Defined the 1920's Period

• The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot - The ultimate indictment of the modern world's loss of personal, moral, and spiritual values.
• The New Negro by Alain Locke - A hopeful look at the negro in America
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - The American dream that anyone can achieve anything
• Strange Interlude by Eugene O'Neill - A look at 30 years in the life of a modern woman
• The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway - The lost generation of expatriates
• Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - A satirical look at small town life
• The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner - Details the moral decay of the Old South
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston - Black life in a Black community