With his U.S.A. trilogy, comprising THE 42nd PARALLEL, 1919, and THE BIG MONEY, John Dos Passos is said by many to have written the great American ...
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Aug 12, 2011
carl
rated it: 
Must admit, don't think I ever heard of Dos Passos until I started reading this trilogy for the Modern Library top 100, but glad I did. Easy reading format, historical context, and I do like history, about the interesting early part of the century in of course, the USA.
Each chapter is titled with a character's name and each evolves, through their own eyes, and when paths cross, through others. Most characters are carried onto the other books. Supposedly the books can be read on the More...
Each chapter is titled with a character's name and each evolves, through their own eyes, and when paths cross, through others. Most characters are carried onto the other books. Supposedly the books can be read on the More...
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Jun 25, 2008
David
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Okay, so this book is dated. And sometimes I am tempted to give a dated book extra credit because I get to study history while reading a story with plot and characters.
I liked this book a lot, it makes me want to read more from the period... except I think I may have already read some stories from this period! Which would suggest that this book is better than those other books I read and forgot.
This book tells a story that is very broad - in geography for one, there are characters More...
I liked this book a lot, it makes me want to read more from the period... except I think I may have already read some stories from this period! Which would suggest that this book is better than those other books I read and forgot.
This book tells a story that is very broad - in geography for one, there are characters More...
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Jun 08, 2011
Tony
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Dos Pasos, John. THE 42ND PARALLEL. (1930). ****.
I first read this novel, the first of the author’s trilogy, U.S.A., about forty-five years ago, when I was in grad school. I remember that it really knocked me for a loop back then since it was full of new ways of providing the reader with information about time and place of the characters. Dos Pasos used techniques that I hadn’t seen before: Newsreel excerpts in bold print and asides he called “The Camera’s Eye.” The novel itself te More...
I first read this novel, the first of the author’s trilogy, U.S.A., about forty-five years ago, when I was in grad school. I remember that it really knocked me for a loop back then since it was full of new ways of providing the reader with information about time and place of the characters. Dos Pasos used techniques that I hadn’t seen before: Newsreel excerpts in bold print and asides he called “The Camera’s Eye.” The novel itself te More...
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Nov 30, 2010
Azothgallery
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U.S.A. 1938
Read November, 2010
Audio Reading of Excerpts by Ed Begley, George Grizzard, & Rip Torn.
Before the “Television Generation,” and the “Computer Generation” there was the “Radio Generation” of the 1920’s to 1940’s, and the “Press Generation” of the 1890’s
to 19-teens. The story of “U.S.A.,” a trilogy of three novels published in 1938, gives an enactment of the “Press Generation,” in which the background noise is the ceaseless clackety-clack of the t More...
Read November, 2010
Audio Reading of Excerpts by Ed Begley, George Grizzard, & Rip Torn.
Before the “Television Generation,” and the “Computer Generation” there was the “Radio Generation” of the 1920’s to 1940’s, and the “Press Generation” of the 1890’s
to 19-teens. The story of “U.S.A.,” a trilogy of three novels published in 1938, gives an enactment of the “Press Generation,” in which the background noise is the ceaseless clackety-clack of the t More...
Jan 10, 2010
Chad
rated it: 
I want to appreciate stream of consciousness writing, but I cannot find any artistic merit in it. Thankfully, John Dos Passos restricts that style to certain short sections of The 42nd Parallel, 27 mini-chapters intended to give a broader perspective than those of the expository characters. Perhaps for other readers it serves that purpose. The narrative is also interspersed with 19 “newsreels”, in which he cuts short phrases from the headlines of various contemporary news stories. Unfortunately,
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Jun 26, 2011
Derek
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John Dos Passos' enthralling 42nd Parallel earns my respect for its sheer ambition alone, but is special because it actually lives up to those ambitions. Multiple storylines, stream-of-consciousness sections, political as well as personal commentary, an indictment of America's turn-of-the-century jingoism and certitude in capitalism: this book is all of those things, and yet it holds together remarkably well. The U.S.A. Trilogy is frequently mentioned in "Great American Novel" lists, a
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Aug 24, 2011
Mike
rated it: 
A better title for this chore would be “NOW! That’s What I Call America.” I'll get to that later.
The 42nd Parallel is unique and groundbreaking in that, for its time, it found new and interesting ways to bore its reader to tears. First, it relentlessly bludgeons its reader with its annoyingly liberal usage of free indirect speech. Rather than giving its characters voice and motion, The 42nd Parallel prides itself on summary, exposition, and trading off engagement for its crappy styl More...
The 42nd Parallel is unique and groundbreaking in that, for its time, it found new and interesting ways to bore its reader to tears. First, it relentlessly bludgeons its reader with its annoyingly liberal usage of free indirect speech. Rather than giving its characters voice and motion, The 42nd Parallel prides itself on summary, exposition, and trading off engagement for its crappy styl More...
Apr 23, 2010
Joselito
rated it:
John Dos Passos combined fictional and historical characters, emerging from different places and backgrounds, but somehow delightfully meeting one another towards the second half of the book, in order to tell the story of how the U.S.A. was at the start of the 20th century. The novel, the first one of a trilogy called "U.S.A." ends with two characters sailing to Europe to see the first world war being fought there after the U.S.A. had entered it.
Some things I noticed: John More...
Some things I noticed: John More...
May 23, 2010
Emily
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I had to read this for a class, but at the end I was glad I got such an opportunity. My teacher was an acquaintance of John Dos Passos, which enhanced the text even more when discussing it. The book is filled with richly developed characters. What most intrigued me was Dos Passos' unique style of building the story.
Each "chapter" also includes a "Camera's Eye" - semi-autobiographical immersions into the piece's culture - and "News Reels" - headlines More...
Each "chapter" also includes a "Camera's Eye" - semi-autobiographical immersions into the piece's culture - and "News Reels" - headlines More...
Jan 28, 2009
We don't hear that much about this trilogy these days -- I wonder if it has to do with Dos Passos's politics. In any case, that's a terrible shame, because this trilogy provided a sublime reading experience for me when I was a teenager. I remember it as my first experience with stream-of-consciousness and first acknowledgement of the Modernist spirit. But mainly: a really enjoyable and profound story.
And then I probably read The Fountainhead next.
I should pick these books More...
And then I probably read The Fountainhead next.
I should pick these books More...
May 31, 2010
Drew
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Apparently this is the first installment in Dos Passos's USA Trilogy in which he attempts to write a "grand, kaleidoscopic portrait of a nation..." This book follows several characters in the early decades of the 20th Century leading up to WWI. It seems to me that he was attempting to capture a snapshot of American life at a specific time in history. He tells several stories to give a broad view, but it is framed by his social and political viewpoints. Many of his characters deal w
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May 15, 2011
Nicholas
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This book -- and trilogy, if I get to the rest of it -- is one of the undisputed masterpieces of the 20th Century. Dos Passos brings the reader through the twilight years of the 19th Century into the destruction of that world at the beginning of the Great War.
The story is told four ways: Semi-omniscient character sketches of "just plain folks," stream of consciousness perspectives from the author, clips from the headlines and biographical sketches of the towering figures of More...
The story is told four ways: Semi-omniscient character sketches of "just plain folks," stream of consciousness perspectives from the author, clips from the headlines and biographical sketches of the towering figures of More...
Aug 21, 2011
Teresa
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Still making up my mind on this one. I enjoyed the way Dos Passos used multiple stories to give a broader sense of the time than a focus on a single character would provide. And the short biographical portraits of real-life people were entertaining. I'm less certain what to make of the newsreels and the "camera's eye" passages. The newsreels were, I think, sort of clever in that they added a bit of context, much in the way a historical montage might in a film, but I'm not sure this tec
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Feb 16, 2011
A.J.
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I need to qualify my upcoming bold statement with two disclaimers. First off, I'm already on record as being underwhelmed by the hallowed novel I'm about to mention in my forthcoming bold statement. Second, The 42nd Parallel is only the first part of a three volume trilogy that should probably be considered as a whole, and I have only read this volume. But what's the point of writing these reviews if your not going to bring strong opinions. So despite the aforesaid reservations, here it goes: wh
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Feb 01, 2011
Luca
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"Sarebbe stata una bella vita, se non fosse stato innamorato" (trad C. Pavese.
Mi piace la traduzione di Pavese, anche se non ho mai letto l'originale. Quindi meglio dire che mi piace il tono generale che Pavese dà alla narrazione.
Il libro ha 4 livelli di lettura. Quelli che io preferisco sono il romanzo tradizionale e le biografie brevi (queste ultime mi ricordano un poco Whitman e anche Lee Masters). Non capisco il "cinegiornale", scrittura spe More...
Sep 26, 2010
Daniel
rated it:
The best part about The 42nd Parallel is the time period of its stories. Set at the beginning of the twentieth century, these stories serve to define a near-perfect world for capitalism. They serve to reveal the truths about lives that are lived on only a fraction of their real value and continue to show how others amassed fortunes by claiming the balance. In relationship to the present, these stories also reveal the greatest opportunity that capitalism has ever had to step forward and to tra
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Jul 21, 2010
Kristin
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http://kristinsbookblog.blogspot.com/200...
First, as an introduction to Dos Passos, who – if you are anything like I was until recently (and only because of my book list obsession) – you have never heard of, some quotes:
“[He’s:] the greatest living writer of our time.” -Jean Paul Sartre, 1938
“Dos Passos came nearer than any of us to writing the Great American Novel, and it’s entirely possible he succeeded. I can only say, from my own point of view, that no nove More...
First, as an introduction to Dos Passos, who – if you are anything like I was until recently (and only because of my book list obsession) – you have never heard of, some quotes:
“[He’s:] the greatest living writer of our time.” -Jean Paul Sartre, 1938
“Dos Passos came nearer than any of us to writing the Great American Novel, and it’s entirely possible he succeeded. I can only say, from my own point of view, that no nove More...
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Jan 09, 2012
Samantha
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It took me awhile to get used to the newsreels, but after I realized that they were actual snippets from the Chicago Trib during the time of writing, I had an easier time understanding them and connecting them to the action of the narrative sections. As for those narrative sections, they were far more captivating than I had originally expected them to be. I was constantly anxious to find out what happened to the characters next, and when Janey and Mac reappeared after having been absent for se
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Jun 17, 2008
Paul
rated it:
In short, I felt this book's structure really detracted from its excellent writing. The prose is spectacular and I was hooked really early on, but the narrative is too often interrupted by both autobiographical asides which are, really, too stream-of-consciousness to really mean much (not that there's anything wrong with stream-of-consciousness, but in a book that's 80% W.S. Maugham
and 20% Faulkner, the 20% is going to seem a bit out of place, no?) and newspaper headlines/clippings which, More...
and 20% Faulkner, the 20% is going to seem a bit out of place, no?) and newspaper headlines/clippings which, More...
Aug 22, 2008
Schuyler
rated it:
If I had to use one word to describe my feelings overall towards this book it would be disappointing. I had high hopes for this 'classic' but they were quickly dashed. I was duped by all of the praise it has recieved from critics and writers. Sometimes it's hard to go back in experimental fiction, toward its infancy and simply not have the patience that it requires. One of the narrative devices Passos uses is Headlines from the time period and brief newspaper clippings, and about half way thr
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Oct 15, 2007
Adam
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The first of Dos Passos's "USA" trilogy, this novel tells the tale of the USA from the beginning of the 20th century up until our entry into the 1st World War. Yes, it really does tell the story of America in a pretty engaging way.
The fragmented storytelling-- fictional passages are intercut with actual text from newsreels and (intentionally biased) biographies of real celebrities of the day-- seems very much influenced by the conventions of film. There are several main c More...
The fragmented storytelling-- fictional passages are intercut with actual text from newsreels and (intentionally biased) biographies of real celebrities of the day-- seems very much influenced by the conventions of film. There are several main c More...
Feb 13, 2008
matt
rated it:
Manic, vibrant, socially conscious, epic, crowded, busy, sweaty, angry, clear-eyed idealism, rowdy, tragic, subjective, objective, infinitely small, buzzing, slashing, eponymous, snide, pathos, scattershot, fecund, inspirational, landmark, surging, colorful, explosive, magnificent.
I'm almost holding back on the next two installments since I don't want to be dissapointed. This one's a corker.
The first two pages is some of the greatest prose I've ever laid eyes on. More...
Sep 19, 2010
King Dinösaur
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The first in Do Passos' "U.S.A. Trilogy", this book follows the course of several characters, some of whom veer into each others stories, while others show up, tell their story, and disappear back into the early 20th century American landscape. Insightful characterization interspersed with clever short pieces titled "Camera Eye", in which stream of consciousness writing depicts more personal aspects and remembrances of the author and "Newsreel", which breaks down h
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Jun 14, 2010
Birdlashes
rated it:
Innovative and influential (both Ragtime and Stand on Zanzibar (recently read) spring from Dos Passos)...Unlike other user reviews I came across, I found myself enjoying the "Camera Eye" and "Newsreel" segments but was bored sleepy by the actual narrative--the lives of characters told in a sort of sweeping expository writing. I decline the option to read the next two books in the "U.S.A. trilogy."
Jul 12, 2010
Frank
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The style is inventive and the cross section of characters are representative of America at the time. It begins in 1900 and features Mac, a working class guy as he wanders around looking for work and takes part in the union/socialist movement. The book is a bit long winded on the socialism front. The other features, Newsreel and Camera Eye, are a bit obtuse. The next book is different.
Apr 01, 2011
Andy
rated it:
Magnum opus from JDP about the US of A before The Great War. The sections regarding Mac and Charley Anderson read like "On the Road" before there was a Kerouac, and other segments likeEleanor Stoddard read like Last Exit Selby with their run-on words and nutty punctuation. In other words, Dos Passos is the unheralded great grandaddy of modern American writing. "1919", here I come.
Dec 13, 2011
Sónia
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Não sei bem porquê mas não me fascinou, embora não esteja em causa a sua qualidade. Nem sei se vou acabar a trilogia embora fique com alguma pena de não seguir estas personagens até ao fim. Esta é uma descrição interessante do início do século XX nos EUA (até à I Guerra Mundial) com o início das lutas dos trabalhadores por melhores condições de trabalho. Reconheço que é um livro criativo, com diversas histórias, biografias, pequenas notícias de jornais da época. No entanto, para mim, as partes d
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Apr 18, 2008
Jackesk
rated it:
A vivid, detailed slice of Americana set right before the dawn of World War I. The 42nd Parellel traces the growth and development of four different characters, their goals continuously shifting based on circumstances both personal and economic.
Some swallow their misgivings and become locked into jobs and marriages that they only partially care for, some pursue entrepreneurial dreams that are bleak at times and invigorating at others, and some characters just become aimlessly lost in More...
Some swallow their misgivings and become locked into jobs and marriages that they only partially care for, some pursue entrepreneurial dreams that are bleak at times and invigorating at others, and some characters just become aimlessly lost in More...
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Dec 01, 2010
Drew
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Bought this randomly on the 98 cents rack at my local bookstore . . . had heard of Dos Passos but didn't know too much. VERY much enjoyed it. The stream-of-consciousness wasn't as annoying as I thought it was going to be, perhaps because it wasn't the whole book.
Felt like a fairly realistic look at life leading up with WW I in the US.
Felt like a fairly realistic look at life leading up with WW I in the US.
Aug 03, 2009
Djll
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I read the USA Trilogy so long ago I don't remember anything about the plot or characters. I just remember the stylistic gimmicks, which impressed me then. Just an urban modernist update of the narrative tricks Bram Stoker did in Dracula, and which would be carried on by writers after Dos Passos such as Pynchon..
