The 42nd Parallel by John Dos Passos - 3 stars

[Joy D]

The 42nd Parallel by John Dos Passos - 3* - My Review

Published in 1930, this first book in the USA trilogy is set in various locations across the US during 1900-1917. It portrays “the American experience” during these years. It is quite creative for its time. The characters are fictional, but it also includes segments of non-fiction, such as headlines from the newsreels, biographies of notable people, song lyrics, and the author’s own memories. These merge into each other without separation or punctuation. There is a lot of discussion and involvement in the labor movement.

I particularly enjoyed the newsreels. They provide dates for the storyline, evoke a feeling for the time period, and often provide an implied criticism of what was just occurred in the narrative, taking to task some of the characters’ actions. This is more implied than stated but it is relatively easy to read between the lines. The author seems to be providing social commentary on “yellow journalism,” propaganda, and advertising in contributing to materialism.

It is a slice of the past, complete with viewpoints (by the characters, not the author) that will not sit well with a modern audience. For example, pretty much every ethnic slur is included in the dialogue. Most of the characters are rather unpleasant. This book is considered a classic so I’m glad I read it but also glad to be finished.