The Magnificent Ambersons

THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS
by Booth Tarkington

 Award: Pulitzer Winner 1919

 Dates Read: November 14, 2006 & June 11, 2017

 As the most prosperous family in Indianapolis, the Ambersons represent a family of wealth and prestige that is quickly waning. George, the grandson of the family's patriarch, is a spoiled brat and, frankly, an a$$hole that is oblivious to the lives and needs of others. George falls in love with Lucy Morgan, a young debutante. The wrench in their happily-ever-after if the previous relationship between George's mother and Lucy's father, of which George has no clue. As the town grows and industry thrives, the Ambersons' prestige and wealth are in decline, while the Morgans grow more affluent due to the foresight of Lucy's father. George eventually sabotages his mother's, recently widowed, feelings for Lucy's father and the life that he had come to expect comes to an end.

 Tarkington has the ability to describe a world that has long gone by but brings it to the present in vivid detail. I can see the Indianapolis of 1919 and breathe, taste and feel every detail. I love that this world has been preserved in the guise of The Magnificent Ambersons and will visit here again and again throughout my life.

Ranked #100 in the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels.

Looking Forward: Alice Adams

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