Years ago I enjoyed Tarkington's Penrod books and this is my second reading of The Magnificent Ambersons. Tarkington gives the reader stunning insight into the mindset of a young man who refuses to let go of his privileged roots as the industrial revolution begins to break down the rigid class structure of the American midwest in the early 20th century. This novel has everything you could ask for: a fawning mother blind to her son's faults, a quiet father whose death barely makes a ripple in the family dynamics, the dashing, successful man that was the mother's second choice and is now back in town, the beautiful love interest who realizes that she will always be second choice to pride, and, most importantly, the misguided young man who believes that family and entitlement are the most important things in life, even if it means that he contributes nothing of import to his world.
There's a reason that Orson Welles chose to film this important novel. It's a great social commentary and demonstrates how people need to embrace change in order to survive and thrive. Well worth reading!
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