Generation of Vipers [Paperback]

Philip Wylie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 2007

Perhaps the most vitriolic attack ever launched on the American way of living—from politicians to professors to businessmen to Mom to sexual mores to religion—Generation of Vipers ranks with the works of De Tocqueville and Emerson in defining the American character and malaise.

Wylie's classic, written with devastating wit and a pen as sharp as a barber's razor, wages war on all forms of American hypocrisy. Remarkably, or perhaps not so, what Philip Wylie has to say rings as true today as when he first wrote Vipers in 1942, and no doubt it will continue to offend and outrage both the Left and Right.

Harsh, bitter, and filled with venom toward those who have corrupted the America that "could have been," Generation of Vipers will be read with pleasure and indignation a century from now.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Originally published in 1943, novelist Wylie's jeremiad attacks the complacencies of the American way of life.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In this 1942 volume, Wylie, one of the founders of The New Yorker, attacks everything imaginable, from politics to religion to mothers. He could give H.L Mencken a run for his money as the most opinionated person of the 20th century. Considering the world hasn't improved much in the last 50 years, much of what he says has great relevance today.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 331 pages
• Publisher: Dalkey Archive Pr; 2nd edition (October 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564781461
• ISBN-13: 978-1564781468
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #185,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A personal letter, May 30, 2005

By 

Stephen A. Newton "Steve" (Sarasota, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Generation of Vipers (Paperback)

Back in 1968, I read Vipers and was blown away. I wrote Mr. Wylie a letter about how much I liked the book and how my own life was moving toward rebellion. I never expected to hear from the author, but I did. He wrote back saying that the publication of Vipers had ruined his life and his family's, especially his daughter's. He disavowed his insights and told me to forget trying to buck "the system."

Nevertheless, it took courage for him to express his views and despite his warning, I followed his lead.

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wylie Goes Off The Deep End!, September 9, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Generation of Vipers (Paperback)

This is not a book; it's more akin to Henry Miller's "gob of spit" or Celine's molitov cocktales. In this rant session, (which is brilliant, on the mark and hilarious) Wylie pulls no punches, bombasting every segment of US society. Yes, this is the same Phillip Wylie who wrote all those spy, adventure, mystery & (eegads!) romance novels! You've gotta read it to believe it!

29 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Decades B4 Politically Incorrect, May 14, 2001

By 

Epador (CONUS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Generation of Vipers (Paperback)

I first read this book in eighth grade, stealing it off my father's bookshelf next to the "photography" books. In 1963, this book was 21 years old and still way ahead of its time and simultaneously dated. A great way to learn perspective and curmudgeondry from a logorrheic genius. I keep it low on the shelves, but my 21st century progeny haven't developed the wit to find it. They're too glued to the Nintendo. Oh generation of slugs!