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The 42nd Parallel
The 42nd Parallel | John Dos Passos
With his U.S.A. trilogy, comprising THE 42nd PARALLEL, 1919, and THE BIG MONEY, John Dos Passos is said by many to have written the great American novel. While Fitzgerald and Hemingway were cultivating what Edmund Wilson once called their "own little corners," John Dos Passos was taking on the world. Counted as one of the best novels of the twentieth century by the Modern Library and by some of the finest writers working today, U.S.A. is a grand, kaleidoscopic portrait of a nation, buzzing with history and life on every page. The trilogy opens with THE 42nd PARALLEL, where we find a young country at the dawn of the twentieth century. Slowly, in stories artfully spliced together, the lives and fortunes of five characters unfold. Mac, Janey, Eleanor, Ward, and Charley are caught on the storm track of this parallel and blown New Yorkward. As their lives cross and double back again, the likes of Eugene Debs, Thomas Edison, and Andrew Carnegie make cameo appearances.
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ImperfectCJ
The 42nd Parallel | John Dos Passos
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Pickpick

I'm enjoying these little slices of American life in the early 20th century. This first volume definitely ends abruptly, and I might have to pick up the second before I get the characters from this one all jumbled in my head. This epic is better, less dry than I expected it to be, at least so far. We'll see if it holds my interest through two more volumes.

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ImperfectCJ
The 42nd Parallel | John Dos Passos
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Last P.E. class until August. I spent most of it, as usual, audiowalking. I'm still tickled that part of this book takes place in San Diego (although it's set more than 100 years ago so is a very different San Diego than the one I live in, there are still people hoping to make it rich in real estate).

Also, I never think the grass looks this brown in real life.

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Liz_M
The 42nd Parallel | John Dos Passos
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This is the first volume of U.S.A. Intended to be all-encompassing, capturing a nation at a moment (a few decades) in time, it is more of a collage or mural than a portrait. There are four components: Newsreels (headlines and snippets), biographies, The Camera Eye (author's stream of conscious), and the stories of a handful of characters from different backgrounds. The pacing is uneven; boring bits alternate with compelling character stories.

Liz_M 3.5⭐, #1001Books, #ChunksterChallenge2020 #ATY2020 - 1st book in series (edited) 4y
CafeMom I have not heard of this one before. Such a big list. 4y
Liz_M @CafeMom It's on the list as the tagged book. 4y
Amiable Congratulations on completing your chunkster! 👍🏼 4y
Liz_M @Amiable This is only volume one of my chunksters. 4y
22 likes5 comments
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twohectobooks
The 42nd Parallel | John Dos Passos
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(Please excuse the terrible photo.)

Latest #modernlibrarytop100 book is the first of the USA trilogy. I was frustrated at first because I thought it would be a retread of Studs Lonigan. But then Dos Passos expands the scope so much. I love how he develops each of the point of view characters, and what he‘s doing with the style. Really getting into a pan-American experience. Or rather a WHITE pan-American experience.

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AshleyHoss820
The 42nd Parallel | John Dos Passos
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Pickpick

It‘s tough being the opening book in a series. You gotta set everything up while showing promises of what‘s to come. We‘re introduced to several main characters. It‘s an easy, fast-paced, slice-of-life novel. There is no plot, just following people‘s lives in early 1900‘s America. This ends just as America has thrown her hat into the WWI ring. I look forward to the rest of the trilogy. #1001Books

⚠️ Several uses of several different racial slurs

Liz_M I own this trilogy and am looking forward to reading it someday.... 6y
AshleyHoss820 @Liz_M Honestly, it reads so fast! For a book with no plot, it carries you along like you‘re tubing down the river! I‘m already almost halfway through the second book! (The racial slurs do make it tough sometimes, though...) 6y
Liz_M I enjoyed Manhatten Transfer, so I am fairly certain I will like these. I just want to find a decent chunk of time to devote to them. :-) 6y
AshleyHoss820 @Liz_M I understand that one! I‘m trying to tackle a chunkster per month, but that‘s easier said than done! 😄 6y
30 likes4 comments
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AshleyHoss820
The 42nd Parallel | John Dos Passos
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You know what it is? I‘m left unsupervised too much...

Ashley_Nicoletto 😂😂😂😂 6y
AshleyHoss820 @Ashley_Nicoletto 😊😊😊😊 6y
LauraBeth I honestly cannot be left unsupervised 😂 6y
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AshleyHoss820 @LauraBeth Hahaha!! Clearly, I can‘t either! I require an adultier adult! But my husband has to sleep apparently...😂😂😂😂 6y
Tera0707 The caption 🤣🧡 6y
Liz_M ~blinks~ I see nothing wrong here. :-D 6y
OrangeMooseReads I require adult supervision as well. 6y
MayJasper 😂 6y
SaraBeagle I love this trilogy! 6y
AshleyHoss820 @Tera0707 @MayJasper 😂😂😂 @Liz_M oh, good! I just needed someone to tell me refried beans at midnight was totally fine so I could stop feeling guilty! 😂😂😂 @OrangeMooseReads I‘d let you borrow my husband for said supervision but he is obviously very bad at it... 😂😂 6y
AshleyHoss820 @SaraBeagle I am already almost done with the first book! It‘s a fast read! Other than the (to-be-expected) racial slurs, it‘s been SO good! 6y
33 likes2 stack adds11 comments
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cleoh
42nd Parallel | John Roderigo Dos Passos
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Fun milestone to capture, since we all start at 42! Thank you, lovelies 😊💖📚

TrishB 👍🎉😀 7y
Lmstraubie 🎉🎉🎉 7y
LeahBergen 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 7y
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Suzze Nice! 👍🏼👍🏼 7y
CherylDeFranceschi Yay! 🎉📚🎉 7y
BooksTeasAndBookishThings Woohoo!!! 😊❤🙌📚🎉 7y
35 likes9 comments
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GoneFishing
The 42nd Parallel | John Dos Passos

Too goddam many lawyers mixed up in this. Run the sonsobitches out. If they resists shoot ‘em, that‘s what I says to the Governor, but they‘re all these sonsobitches a lawyers fussin‘ everythin‘ up all the time with warrants and habeas corpus and longwinded rigmarole. My ass to habeas corpus.

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