Readers who have exhausted their Facebook feed as some form of catharsis in the wake of this week’s presidential election results are apparently turning to a longer-form coping mechanism.
The 1935 Sinclair Lewis novel “It Can’t Happen Here” — called a “cautionary tale about the fragility of democracy” — has taken over the top two best-seller spots in Amazon’s Classic American Literature section. (The Kindle edition, at No. 2, is the reason the book occupies two spots.)
The book, which was written during the Great Depression, “juxtaposes sharp political satire with the chillingly realistic rise of a president who becomes a dictator to save the nation from welfare cheats, sex, crime, and a liberal press,” its description reads.
With 291 customer reviews on Amazon, the book is rated 4.3 out of 5 stars by readers, and reviews posted in recent days and weeks illustrate the connection people are making to Donald Trump’s ascendency.
“This book just got a lot more relevant today! I am sure the sales of this book will sky rocket in the coming years,” amazoncustomer111 wrote on Wednesday.
“A CLASSIC, well written scenario that is pertinent again. One should review the classics periodically to know not to make the same mistakes again…,” H. LiMarzi said in a 5-star review posted on Sunday.
Project Gutenberg Australia has the book for free on its site. And a PDF version from Feedbooks is also online.
