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They Call Me Carpenter: A Tale of the Second Coming
They Call Me A Tale of the Second Coming is a novel written by Upton Sinclair in 1922 that exposed the new and upcoming culture of 1920's Southern California, namely Hollywood. Sinclair does this by using Jesus, or Carpenter as Sinclair calls him, as a literary figure.
The story takes place in the fictional locale Western City. It begins with a man named Billy who is attacked by a mob outside a theater after watching a German film. Billy then stumbles into a church and is visited by Carpenter, that is Jesus, who walks out of a stained glass window. Carpenter is shocked and appalled by upper-class culture. The story then roughly follows the biblical account of the Ministry of Jesus. In the end, Carpenter decides to escape the corroded culture by jumping back into the stained glass window whence he came.
The story takes place in the fictional locale Western City. It begins with a man named Billy who is attacked by a mob outside a theater after watching a German film. Billy then stumbles into a church and is visited by Carpenter, that is Jesus, who walks out of a stained glass window. Carpenter is shocked and appalled by upper-class culture. The story then roughly follows the biblical account of the Ministry of Jesus. In the end, Carpenter decides to escape the corroded culture by jumping back into the stained glass window whence he came.
86 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1922
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186 people want to read
About the author
Upton Sinclair
726 books1,189 followersUpton Beall Sinclair, Jr. was an American author who wrote close to one hundred books in many genres. He achieved popularity in the first half of the twentieth century, acquiring particular fame for his classic muckraking novel, The Jungle (1906). To gather information for the novel, Sinclair spent seven weeks undercover working in the meat packing plants of Chicago. These direct experiences exposed the horrific conditions in the U.S. meat packing industry, causing a public uproar that contributed in part to the passage a few months later of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act. The Jungle has remained continuously in print since its initial publication. In 1919, he published The Brass Check, a muckraking exposé of American journalism that publicized the issue of yellow journalism and the limitations of the “free press” in the United States. Four years after the initial publication of The Brass Check, the first code of ethics for journalists was created. Time magazine called him "a man with every gift except humor and silence." In 1943, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Sinclair also ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Socialist, and was the Democratic Party nominee for Governor of California in 1934, though his highly progressive campaign was defeated.
Sinclair also ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Socialist, and was the Democratic Party nominee for Governor of California in 1934, though his highly progressive campaign was defeated.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 7, 2018
I confess that I never knew much about Upton Sinclair beyond the fact that he wrote the meat-packing industry exposé The Jungle. It seems like a pretty big oversight on my part, considering that he wrote nearly 100 novels and also won a Pulitzer Prize—though not for The Jungle, as you'd think, but for the third novel in the Lanny Budd series (which is now out of print). I was also surprised to learn that he wrote the book on which Disney based the film The Gnome-Mobile, a childhood favorite that almost no one seems to remember (I was even accused once of inventing it). None of these facts are why I decided to read They Call Me Carpenter.
My interest originated with a reference in a book about horror film history, David Skal's The Monster Show. Skal mentions that Sinclair's They Call Me Carpenter uses a movie theater showing of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari as a framing device. As a fan of silent film—and silent horror in particular—I knew I had to take a look.
The book begins with the main character, Billy, attending a screening of Caligari—"a futurist production, a strange, weird freak of the cinema art, supposed to be the nightmare of a madman"—in the fictitious Western City, California in 1921. The film has been recommended to him by his friend Dr. Henner.
After seeing the film, Billy agrees with Henner's assessment that the film could not have been made America, as it is the product of "an old, perhaps an overripe culture"—which is not to say he didn't enjoy it. In fact, he offers several paragraphs of positive criticism, including:
Still musing about the film and its meaning, Billy leaves the theater and finds himself in the midst of a mob that "might have come direct from the inside of Dr. Caligari's asylum." The protesters are livid that Caligari is making money for Germany. "Ya, ya. Boo, boo!" they shout. "German propaganda! Pay your money to the Huns! For shame on you! Leave your own people to starve, and send your cash to the enemy." Billy is incredulous at their fury, knowing that there's nothing anti-American in the film, and contemplates reasoning with them, but ultimately realizes a mob can't be reasoned with. He makes his way through the throng, but not without getting a nasty cosh on the head.
The theater riot is based in part on Hollywood history. When rioters became violent outside Miller's Theater in October of 1921, the management halted their exhibition of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari after only a few performances, replacing it with silent crime drama The Money Changers. Upton Sinclair may well have become aware of this event because of the fact that the replacement film was based on his own novel of the same name. (As a side note pertaining to my interest in lost films, no reels of The Money Changers are known to have survived.)
After the riot, Billy takes refuge in a church, and here the novel changes into something I (perhaps stupidly) did not anticipate. I'd like to point out that I read this novel in e-book format, so I didn't have cover art as a clue, nor did my edition have the subtitle "a Tale of the Second Coming." Maybe "carpenter" should have made me take notice, but it's a common enough name. Suffice it to say, I was blindsided when the novel turned into a Christian allegory—something which likely would not surprise many other readers. (Even if they don't have the advantage of the cover art or subtitle, the book is still far better known for being about Jesus than it it is for mentioning The Cabinet of Dr. Calgari).
While in the church, Billy sees the stained glass representation of Christ come to life. Let's not forget that he's had a nasty wallop to the head, but other people also seem to see the man, who does indeed call himself Carpenter as it says on the wrapper. How well you like the rest of the book may have a lot to do with your relationship to religion, or how much you like rather obvious religious allegory. As the two cruise through Los Angeles (or Western City, rather) in the heyday of silent film, Carpenter gets to meet movie stars and directors, like the sultry Mary Magna—a vampy Theda Bara-ish stand-in for Mary Magdalene—and the film producer Abey Tszchniczklefritszch. He turns down a lucrative film contract, appalled at the treatment of the day laborers and the inequity of wealth. His experiences lead to trouble as he can no longer tolerate the injustices he views:
For me, the novel's saving grace (pun intended just a little) is the look at the silent movie-making machinations and how little has changed as far as exploitation, marketing, and general depravity. Occasionally there are touches of humor, but it, too, is often heavy-handed. I was a tad disappointed that there wasn't a return at the end of the book to the Caligari exhibition, which I had presumed based on the use of the term "framing device." The term was used correctly, just differently than I'd anticipated (and perhaps that was just as stupid of me as being oblivious to the subject matter, as the ending seems like I should have seen it coming).
It's also an interesting companion to The Jungle, with its obvious political agenda, especially concerning labor exploitation. (Sinclair, by the way, was surprised at the reaction to his most famous novel, which he had intended to point out the inhumane treatment of workers. Public reaction zeroed in on the unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry and largely ignored the labor issues. "I aimed at the public's heart," said Sinclair, "and by accident I hit it in the stomach.")
If you'd like to judge the book for yourself, it's in the public domain, so you can can score a free Kindle copy (or choose from an array of affordable used versions) at Amazon.com. You can also download it free on Project Gutenberg, where you can opt to read it directly, if you prefer.
My interest originated with a reference in a book about horror film history, David Skal's The Monster Show. Skal mentions that Sinclair's They Call Me Carpenter uses a movie theater showing of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari as a framing device. As a fan of silent film—and silent horror in particular—I knew I had to take a look.
The book begins with the main character, Billy, attending a screening of Caligari—"a futurist production, a strange, weird freak of the cinema art, supposed to be the nightmare of a madman"—in the fictitious Western City, California in 1921. The film has been recommended to him by his friend Dr. Henner.
"Being an American," Henner said, "you will find yourself asking, 'What good does such a picture do?' You will have the idea that every work of art must serve some moral purpose." After a pause, he added: "This picture could not possibly have been produced in America. For one thing, nearly all the characters are thin." He said it with the flicker of a smile--"One does not find American screen actors in that condition. Do your people care enough about the life of art to take a risk of starving for it?"
After seeing the film, Billy agrees with Henner's assessment that the film could not have been made America, as it is the product of "an old, perhaps an overripe culture"—which is not to say he didn't enjoy it. In fact, he offers several paragraphs of positive criticism, including:
“I had read many stories and seen a great many plays, in which the hero wakes up in the end, and we realize that we have been watching a dream. I remembered "Midsummer Night's Dream," and also "Looking Backward." An old, old device of art; and yet always effective, one of the most effective! But this was the first time I had ever been taken into the dreams of a lunatic. Yes, it was interesting, there was no denying it; grisly stuff, but alive, and marvelously well acted. How Edgar Allen Poe would have revelled [sic] in it!"
Still musing about the film and its meaning, Billy leaves the theater and finds himself in the midst of a mob that "might have come direct from the inside of Dr. Caligari's asylum." The protesters are livid that Caligari is making money for Germany. "Ya, ya. Boo, boo!" they shout. "German propaganda! Pay your money to the Huns! For shame on you! Leave your own people to starve, and send your cash to the enemy." Billy is incredulous at their fury, knowing that there's nothing anti-American in the film, and contemplates reasoning with them, but ultimately realizes a mob can't be reasoned with. He makes his way through the throng, but not without getting a nasty cosh on the head.
The theater riot is based in part on Hollywood history. When rioters became violent outside Miller's Theater in October of 1921, the management halted their exhibition of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari after only a few performances, replacing it with silent crime drama The Money Changers. Upton Sinclair may well have become aware of this event because of the fact that the replacement film was based on his own novel of the same name. (As a side note pertaining to my interest in lost films, no reels of The Money Changers are known to have survived.)
After the riot, Billy takes refuge in a church, and here the novel changes into something I (perhaps stupidly) did not anticipate. I'd like to point out that I read this novel in e-book format, so I didn't have cover art as a clue, nor did my edition have the subtitle "a Tale of the Second Coming." Maybe "carpenter" should have made me take notice, but it's a common enough name. Suffice it to say, I was blindsided when the novel turned into a Christian allegory—something which likely would not surprise many other readers. (Even if they don't have the advantage of the cover art or subtitle, the book is still far better known for being about Jesus than it it is for mentioning The Cabinet of Dr. Calgari).
While in the church, Billy sees the stained glass representation of Christ come to life. Let's not forget that he's had a nasty wallop to the head, but other people also seem to see the man, who does indeed call himself Carpenter as it says on the wrapper. How well you like the rest of the book may have a lot to do with your relationship to religion, or how much you like rather obvious religious allegory. As the two cruise through Los Angeles (or Western City, rather) in the heyday of silent film, Carpenter gets to meet movie stars and directors, like the sultry Mary Magna—a vampy Theda Bara-ish stand-in for Mary Magdalene—and the film producer Abey Tszchniczklefritszch. He turns down a lucrative film contract, appalled at the treatment of the day laborers and the inequity of wealth. His experiences lead to trouble as he can no longer tolerate the injustices he views:
"Carpenter looked about the place, now lined pretty well with cripples and invalids. Only a couple of hours of spreading rumor had been needed to bring them forth, unholy and dreadful secrets, dragged from the dark corners and back alley- ways of these tenements. He gazed from one crooked and distorted face to another, and put his 'hand to his forehead with a gesture of despair. "No, no!" he said. "It is of no use !" He lifted his voice, calling once more to the masters of the city."You make them faster than I can heal them! You make them by machinery and he who would help them must break the machine !""
For me, the novel's saving grace (pun intended just a little) is the look at the silent movie-making machinations and how little has changed as far as exploitation, marketing, and general depravity. Occasionally there are touches of humor, but it, too, is often heavy-handed. I was a tad disappointed that there wasn't a return at the end of the book to the Caligari exhibition, which I had presumed based on the use of the term "framing device." The term was used correctly, just differently than I'd anticipated (and perhaps that was just as stupid of me as being oblivious to the subject matter, as the ending seems like I should have seen it coming).
It's also an interesting companion to The Jungle, with its obvious political agenda, especially concerning labor exploitation. (Sinclair, by the way, was surprised at the reaction to his most famous novel, which he had intended to point out the inhumane treatment of workers. Public reaction zeroed in on the unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry and largely ignored the labor issues. "I aimed at the public's heart," said Sinclair, "and by accident I hit it in the stomach.")
If you'd like to judge the book for yourself, it's in the public domain, so you can can score a free Kindle copy (or choose from an array of affordable used versions) at Amazon.com. You can also download it free on Project Gutenberg, where you can opt to read it directly, if you prefer.
December 15, 2025
lowkey very fun. Christo-Bolshevism is the way forward. sinclair is so white tho it’s painful
November 20, 2018
Upton Sinclair basically wrote socialist propaganda the same way Ayn Rand wrote capitalist propaganda. All propaganda is an attempt to persuade, though many associate it with dishonesty. Sinclair's works are simplistic bludgeons but he doesn't employ the kind of dishonest straw men and pretentious claims of "true reason" the way Rand does. Still, with Sinclair you pretty much get the point right away and he just keeps on hammering away at it.
This book is pretty simple. It is a retelling of the Jesus story in then modern early twentieth century America that shows the obvious parallels between the Christ story and socialism. Sinclair also portrays the way populist movements and unions are portrayed as violent thugs by the establishment through manipulation of the press. This was being done in the 19th century with labor movements and we saw it again in the US this year with Bernie Sanders supporters.
There is nothing outright dishonest about Sinclair's work but it is one-sided. If you agree you will be amused by the way he reworks The Bible and if you disagree you probably won't be convinced. Only people who haven't ever really thought much about these things will get a lot out of this, but at the same time I give it three stars because it is what it sets out to be and not more or less. Some have complained about the ending, but the book telegraphs it early on and it works fine for this particular book.
This book is pretty simple. It is a retelling of the Jesus story in then modern early twentieth century America that shows the obvious parallels between the Christ story and socialism. Sinclair also portrays the way populist movements and unions are portrayed as violent thugs by the establishment through manipulation of the press. This was being done in the 19th century with labor movements and we saw it again in the US this year with Bernie Sanders supporters.
There is nothing outright dishonest about Sinclair's work but it is one-sided. If you agree you will be amused by the way he reworks The Bible and if you disagree you probably won't be convinced. Only people who haven't ever really thought much about these things will get a lot out of this, but at the same time I give it three stars because it is what it sets out to be and not more or less. Some have complained about the ending, but the book telegraphs it early on and it works fine for this particular book.
April 5, 2013
This was an awesome book. The next time I speak in church, I plan to use the updated version of the Beattitudes. I love that the IWW is used to epitomize Christian teachings, we really are 'One Big Union'. At the time this was written, the IWW and its members were being harassed, they lost jobs and were jailed and even killed for their radical unionizing ways.
In the first chapter, Christ comes out of the church window, and says that he doesn't know if he belongs in the church. They replace his image with a picture of a banker. -- I also love the part where Christ sings the Internationale.
In the first chapter, Christ comes out of the church window, and says that he doesn't know if he belongs in the church. They replace his image with a picture of a banker. -- I also love the part where Christ sings the Internationale.
November 26, 2014
I may not be a true socialist or have any anarchistic tendencies, but I still really liked this book! I enjoyed following the story of Jesus encountering modern-day parallels of the same people, places, needs, and struggles of his time. Although I'll admit the book did not and the way I anticipated, it was still excellent. Upton Sinclair's novel helped me see through and around subtleties of Christianity that I never before noticed.
June 17, 2012
An short, interesting allegory of Carpenter a.k.a Jesus returning to post-WW2 United States. At some points it is very contrived, but overall an interesting insight into what Christ would experience in the modern world. Personally, I don't think he would be as shocked as Sinclair makes him because I think the culture in the Roman/Jerusalem time period was just as debauched.
November 30, 2014
This book is already too much fun.
It's vaguely religious about a clash between Hollywood and past morals or something like that. I'll know more as I go through it.
For the time being it is a lot of fun and has some aspects that are very visual and parodies modern life.
This book is available in the Public Domain and you can download a copy here;
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5774
It's vaguely religious about a clash between Hollywood and past morals or something like that. I'll know more as I go through it.
For the time being it is a lot of fun and has some aspects that are very visual and parodies modern life.
This book is available in the Public Domain and you can download a copy here;
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5774
January 31, 2018
Like Jesus Christ Superstar? Then you'll love this book. Upton Sinclair takes the classic story of Jesus Christ and transports it to the modern day - well, the 1920's... and adds a healthy dose of socialism. It was a clever parable but with such a sad, sad ending. (No real need to describe it all b/c if you want a synopsis, read the Gospel of Mark).
April 12, 2019
They Call Me Carpenter is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek Second Coming story narrated by rich young socialite Billy, who retreats into a church after receiving a head wound during a protest outside of a movie theater, only to have "Mr. Carpenter" descend out of the stained-glass window behind the alter to heal him. Billy then tags along as Carpenter wades into the modern world in a modern retelling of Christ's story from the bible that parallels the biblical story to such an extent that Sinclair includes an appendix at the end that details each direct reference to the corresponding gospels (Matthew, Isaiah, Mark, Luke, John, and James among them).
The main theme of Upton Sinclair's novel is how contrary today's society behaves to the Christian ideologies that it not only claims to uphold, but to have constructed itself upon its foundation. This is demonstrated first through the more superficial fish-out-of-water conflicts that occur by exposing Carpenter to modern attitudes towards feminine attire and self-beautification, but proceeds to hammer home on more substantial issues when Carpenter gets himself involved with wealth disparity.
Within the main theme of the poor versus the rich, Sinclair has three main targets in his cross-hairs. First is the labor rights movement, of which Sinclair was a major supporter and would later adopt as his platform when running for Governor of California in 1934. Carpenter eventually gets involved with the labor unions, which acts as the main catalyst for most of the conflict, and provokes the ire of local government officials and the industrial leaders that hold oligarchic control over them. This is not a new topic for Sinclair, who covers similar ground in some of his most famous and influential works, The Jungle (1906) and Oil! (1927).
One of the power structure's weapons of attack is Sinclair's second target is the news media, which - as in real life - remains primarily in the background yet manipulates the course of events through misrepresentation of the events it records, acting as a propaganda arm of the elite power structure. The destructive potential of "yellow journalism" is also not a new subject for Sinclair, who wrote about it previous to They Call Me Carpenter (1922) in The Brass Check (1919), and would later find that weapon used against him during his run for Governor.
The third group that clashes with Carpenter is - ironically, but not surprisingly - organized religion, or more specifically, modern day Christianity. The values that Carpenter preaches in regards to the treatment of the lower classes is demonstrably ignored by society as a whole, and when presented to self-proclaimed Christians in the story he is either misunderstood or rejected outright. In fact, church leaders of Western City (the name of the book's generic location, most likely a stand-in for Los Angeles, California) are openly accused by Carpenter of being beholden to the rich elites over the word of God, and they do little to prove him wrong.
Overall, there are individuals who respond positively to Carpenter's message and actions - many of whom take on complimentary roles to the apostles whose gospels are mirrored - but it is the groups and organizations that either rejects his teachings because they challenge or contradict the group's goals, or muddle them incomprehensibly based on their own world view or the world view forced upon them by outside elements.
They Call Me Carpenter might be labelled by some as a satire, although I personally don't think it fits that definition, and while there is a undercurrent of humor throughout the book - unavoidably so in such an extreme fish-out-of-water tale - it never rises to the true level of a comedy of errors. Needless to say for an Upton Sinclair novel, the political views supported by the narrative swing very far to the left, so those who are vehemently opposed to labor unions or can't conceive of Jesus being portrayed as a socialist may want to steer clear and reread Atlas Shrugged instead. For everyone else, They Call Me Carpenter is possibly a more lighthearted and entertaining read than some of Sinclair's more renowned works, even if the subject matter at hand is just as serious.
The main theme of Upton Sinclair's novel is how contrary today's society behaves to the Christian ideologies that it not only claims to uphold, but to have constructed itself upon its foundation. This is demonstrated first through the more superficial fish-out-of-water conflicts that occur by exposing Carpenter to modern attitudes towards feminine attire and self-beautification, but proceeds to hammer home on more substantial issues when Carpenter gets himself involved with wealth disparity.
Within the main theme of the poor versus the rich, Sinclair has three main targets in his cross-hairs. First is the labor rights movement, of which Sinclair was a major supporter and would later adopt as his platform when running for Governor of California in 1934. Carpenter eventually gets involved with the labor unions, which acts as the main catalyst for most of the conflict, and provokes the ire of local government officials and the industrial leaders that hold oligarchic control over them. This is not a new topic for Sinclair, who covers similar ground in some of his most famous and influential works, The Jungle (1906) and Oil! (1927).
One of the power structure's weapons of attack is Sinclair's second target is the news media, which - as in real life - remains primarily in the background yet manipulates the course of events through misrepresentation of the events it records, acting as a propaganda arm of the elite power structure. The destructive potential of "yellow journalism" is also not a new subject for Sinclair, who wrote about it previous to They Call Me Carpenter (1922) in The Brass Check (1919), and would later find that weapon used against him during his run for Governor.
The third group that clashes with Carpenter is - ironically, but not surprisingly - organized religion, or more specifically, modern day Christianity. The values that Carpenter preaches in regards to the treatment of the lower classes is demonstrably ignored by society as a whole, and when presented to self-proclaimed Christians in the story he is either misunderstood or rejected outright. In fact, church leaders of Western City (the name of the book's generic location, most likely a stand-in for Los Angeles, California) are openly accused by Carpenter of being beholden to the rich elites over the word of God, and they do little to prove him wrong.
Overall, there are individuals who respond positively to Carpenter's message and actions - many of whom take on complimentary roles to the apostles whose gospels are mirrored - but it is the groups and organizations that either rejects his teachings because they challenge or contradict the group's goals, or muddle them incomprehensibly based on their own world view or the world view forced upon them by outside elements.
They Call Me Carpenter might be labelled by some as a satire, although I personally don't think it fits that definition, and while there is a undercurrent of humor throughout the book - unavoidably so in such an extreme fish-out-of-water tale - it never rises to the true level of a comedy of errors. Needless to say for an Upton Sinclair novel, the political views supported by the narrative swing very far to the left, so those who are vehemently opposed to labor unions or can't conceive of Jesus being portrayed as a socialist may want to steer clear and reread Atlas Shrugged instead. For everyone else, They Call Me Carpenter is possibly a more lighthearted and entertaining read than some of Sinclair's more renowned works, even if the subject matter at hand is just as serious.
August 17, 2023
An interesting book by Upton Sinclair in that he imagines what would happen if Jesus Christ came back to Western City (Los Angeles) around 1920. Sinclair references the different aspects of the Gospels in the New Testament, even providing references in the Appendix to page numbers in the book and where they came from in the Gospels, along with cross-references with the characters in the short novel with the Biblical characters.
It's a quick read and thought-provoking at times, though just a mediocre work in the huge oeuvre of Sinclair, a fun novelty.
It's a quick read and thought-provoking at times, though just a mediocre work in the huge oeuvre of Sinclair, a fun novelty.
May 15, 2023
Sinclair has written parts of the Bible, as to fit into today's society and, he has done an excellent job of it! Years ago I read a LOT of his writing and it was fun to find his books again. Her writes in such clearity - tomake everything so easy to understand!
November 11, 2025
Ngl the ending pissed me off, but this had no reason being this good??? Upton Sinclair was a world-class hater and satirist and I respect the hell out of it
April 3, 2025
Set in Hollywood as it all gets going, it's abundant in stock characters. We have a cynical film critic who is full of self-conscious bad jokes, a French beauty parlour owner who applies torturous hair perm treatments to her clients, and a mouthy movie magnate who flashes wads of money wherever he goes. And of course we have the J-man himself, called after his trade, who after stepping out of a church stained-glass window is guided around Hollywood by the narrator, whom he had healed after finding him beaten unconscious by aggressive communist-phobic cinema-goers.
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