Generation of Vipers

Generation of Vipers
First edition
AuthorPhillip Wylie
LanguageEnglish
GenreNon-fiction
PublisherFarrar & Rinehart
Publication dateJanuary 1943
Publication placeUnited States

Generation of Vipers is a 1943 book by Philip Wylie. In it Wylie criticizes various aspects and beliefs of contemporary American society, including Christianity; prominent figures such as politicians, teachers, and doctors; and "momism" or the adoration of mothers.

History

Wylie wrote the book in Miami Beach, Florida beginning on May 12, 1942 and ending on July 4, 1942; he felt disillusioned after having a job with the U.S. government providing information about World War II. The book was published in January 1943.

By 1955, the book had twenty printings and a new edition came out.

Reception

Mike Wallace stated in his 1957 interview of Wylie that many viewers had criticized Wylie's conclusions about mothers, and Wylie responded by stating that he was only talking about a certain type of mother.

In 2005, Jonathan Yardley of the Washington Post argued that the book had not aged well in his second reading; he had first read the book in the 1960s.

References

  1. 1 2 "Philip Wylie 5/12/57." The Mike Wallace Interview, posted at the website of University of Texas Harry Ransom Center. Retrieved on October 18, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Yardley, Jonathan (2005-07-30). "'Generation of Vipers' Loses Its Bite". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  3. ↑ "Philip Wylie, "Common Women," from Generation of Vipers (1942, 1955) Archived 2016-11-07 at the Wayback Machine." Posted at the City University of New York. Retrieved on October 18, 2016.

Further reading