Miss Lonelyhearts

It must have been a relief for writers like West and Faulkner (Sanctuary came out around this time) to publish books examining society's lurid and depraved aspects and have them treated (at least by some) as literature and not smut. Miss Lonelyhearts, the story of a newspaper advice columnist, reads a bit showoffy with its mannered dialogue and overheated religious aspects, but there are acute observations worth mining throughout. As in this passage: "Men have always fought their misery with dreams. Although dreams were once powerful, they have been made puerile by the movies, radio, and newspapers. Among many betrayals, this was the worst."