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A Giant Passes


I am an American, Chicago born—Chicago, that somber city—and go at things as I have taught myself, free style, and will make the record in my own way: first to knock, first admitted; sometimes an innocent knock, sometimes a not so innocent. But a man's character is his fate, says Heraclitus, and in the end there isn't any way to disguise the nature of the knocks by acoustical work on the door or gloving the knuckles.

--Opening passage of The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow (1953)

I'm mildly embarrassed to admit that I've never read Bellow, other than the great passage above and a few pages of Herzog back in high school...another personal literary wrong that I intend to rectify. I particularly like Bellow's thoughts on the modern novel, which he described as "a latter-day lean-to, a hovel in which the spirit takes shelter."

April 6, 2005 in Books | Permalink

Comments

If you read any Bellow, Augie March is the most fun for the city it portrays as well as it's huge, expansive style. I know he tried to cut back some in later novels, but Augie is where it's at.

Sometimes with Bellow though I felt like I was reading the same novel over and over again. Great stuff, but similar or same dilemas.

Posted by: brian at Apr 8, 2005 2:15:41 PM

augie march is very good. I always liked herzog & Henderson the Rain king.

Posted by: SR at Apr 9, 2005 10:20:40 AM

Thank you, gentlemen, for striving to help me overcome my ignorance.

Posted by: Pete at Apr 11, 2005 2:21:47 PM

Dear Sir:

Please be advised that you are in violation of my rights to the Saul Bellow image you reproduced with this blog.

Although credited to Getty Images, you will note it is no longer available from them because it was miscredited in an agency they purchased, (The Hulton Arhive) and they have agreed that the photo is mine. I am represented by Lebrecht Music and Arts (London) and Woodfin Camp (New York), the only agencies who can license my work.

You appear to have taken the thumbnail from the Getty site, a violation in itself. Please note that just because something comes up in a web search does not mean you can use it. As a writer, I am sure you understand the principle.

Please remove this image from from your site.

Yours truly

Jeff Lowenthal

Posted by: Jeff Lowenthal at Nov 2, 2007 9:25:20 AM

Done. I apologize for any infringement, but rest assured that I didn't benefit financially from publishing that great photo of Bellow, as the next dime I earn from this blog will be my first.

Posted by: Pete at Nov 3, 2007 7:34:47 AM