The Gibson Upright [Paperback]

Booth Tarkington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 2005

This book is a facsimile reprint and may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages.

Product Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing, LLC (January 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141796703X
• ISBN-13: 978-1417967032
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tarkington goes Political!, December 13, 2000

By 

mchenryed - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gibson Upright (The Works of Booth Tarkington) (Library Binding)

Written as a play, this book debunks the popular at the time theory that all workers should own all the businesses and that everyone should receive the same pay(from the profits). The story begins with Andrew Gibson, owner of a piano manufacturing company whose successful product is the "Gibson Upright". He is in turmoil with his on-the-verge-of-striking workers. The workers insist on even more benefits than what they currently have (they have now what resembles our modern day work schedule). The workers spout their socialistic beliefs in an attempt to get more out of Gibson, claiming he can afford it with all of his riches.

Gibson, not wishing to concede to their demands, decides to fulfill their wishes. In a comical way, he simply hands over the rights to the factory -- letting the leaders of the strikers run it as they see fit. The workers unite and are excited over this prospect. However, this new routine quickly becomes their undoing as the factory's accountants leave and the workers become even more lazy. Of course, as Tarkington can only do, there is a love story here where Gibson and one of the striking workers have a "bond."

This story was incredibly simple and pointed out some of the fallacies of the Socialist movement. While on some levels, the story works, yet on others it was a bit too contrived. All in all, though, the book/play was fun to read, despite the somewhat sappy plot and ending.