<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<GoodreadsResponse>
	<Request>
		<authentication>false</authentication>
		    <method><![CDATA[]]></method>
	</Request>
	
<book>
  <id>11907</id>
  <title><![CDATA[The Victim (Penguin Classics)]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[0140189386]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780140189384]]></isbn13>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <description><![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]></description>
  <work>
  <best_book_id type="integer">11907</best_book_id>
  <books_count type="integer">14</books_count>
  <desc_user_id type="integer" nil="true"></desc_user_id>
  <id type="integer">14276</id>
  <media_type nil="true"></media_type>
  <original_language_id type="integer" nil="true"></original_language_id>
  <original_publication_day type="integer" nil="true"></original_publication_day>
  <original_publication_month type="integer" nil="true"></original_publication_month>
  <original_publication_year type="integer">1964</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>The Victim (Penguin Classics)</original_title>
  <rating_dist>total:259|5:33|4:100|3:92|2:30|1:4|</rating_dist>
  <ratings_count type="integer">259</ratings_count>
  <ratings_sum type="integer">905</ratings_sum>
  <reviews_count type="integer">436</reviews_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">34</text_reviews_count>
</work>

  <average_rating><![CDATA[3.49]]></average_rating>
  <ratings_count><![CDATA[249]]></ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[33]]></text_reviews_count>
  
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim]]></link>
  <authors>
    <author>
    <id>4391</id>
        <name><![CDATA[Saul Bellow]]></name>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1206719335p5/4391.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1206719335p2/4391.jpg]]></small_image_url>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4391.Saul_Bellow]]></link>
    <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
    <ratings_count>9719</ratings_count>
    <text_reviews_count>1013</text_reviews_count>
  </author>
  </authors>
    <reviews start="1" end="20" total="436">
      <review>
  <id>35303180</id>
    <user>
    <id>1107219</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jimmy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Portland, OR]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1107219-jimmy]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1238109023p3/1107219.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1238109023p2/1107219.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.51</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>249</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Oct 17 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Oct 14 13:15:25 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat May 23 21:07:14 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[It's impossible to please everyone.  Hopefully, there isn't a soul on this earth that doesn't realize that, even if it takes them a while to do so.  An obsession with appeasing people in life is, in my opinion, one of the most vain and futile preoccupations that a person can have.  For every individ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35303180">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35303180]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35303180]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>14966270</id>
    <user>
    <id>890531</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Matthew]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/890531-matthew]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Fans of Saul Bellow ]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Feb 12 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Feb 08 23:52:37 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Feb 12 13:02:37 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[There are some authors who could write about almost anything and I would follow along quite eagerly. Unfortunately, Saul Bellow is not one of those authors. <br/><br/>The victim is a story about Asa Leventhal and his unexpected acquantance, Kirby Albee, who accuses Leventhal of deliberately ruinin...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14966270">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14966270]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14966270]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>63418933</id>
    <user>
    <id>1096417</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Tyler ]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1096417-tyler]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1218938247p3/1096417.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1218938247p2/1096417.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[All; Fans of Americana]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Author's Reputation]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jul 02 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jul 14 06:39:11 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jul 19 08:33:58 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[For the same reasons I liked <em>Mr. Sammlerâ€™s Planet</em> and <em>Seize the Day</em>, I like this earlier novel of Saul Bellowâ€™s, too. Each is a thinking novel, and each imprints Bellowâ€™s distinctive touch.<br/><br/>The plot centers on the fallout from a job interview. The hero, Asa Leventhal, is beset by a ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63418933">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63418933]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63418933]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>47668546</id>
    <user>
    <id>117377</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Frederick]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Huntington, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/117377-frederick]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1242880522p3/117377.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1242880522p2/117377.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="bellow" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Feb 27 00:14:55 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Mar 25 02:03:22 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Here is what I posted, a few minutes ago, about the novella THE VICTIM is based upon: &quot;THE ETERNAL HUSBAND is the model for Saul Bellow's novel, THE VICTIM. Having read and liked THE VICTIM, I decided to read Dostoevsky's novella. I read it in the translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky. Dostoevs...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47668546">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47668546]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47668546]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>5242920</id>
    <user>
    <id>317198</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Lin]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Netherlands]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/317198-lin]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1225906195p3/317198.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1225906195p2/317198.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="owned" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Aug 28 14:00:43 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 07:29:19 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[While the book was not a bad read, it didnt succeed in holding my attention too well. I had to continuously make myself read it, which is not really a positive judgement to make on a book.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5242920]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5242920]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>22455602</id>
    <user>
    <id>766990</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Michael]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Portland, OR]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/766990-michael]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1205005854p3/766990.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1205005854p2/766990.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jun 08 08:04:08 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat May 17 17:50:39 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jun 08 08:04:08 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is one of my favorite Bellow novels. For some reason, I find his shorter novels such as this one, Seize the Day, and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9873.Dangling_Man" title="Dangling Man by Saul Bellow">Dangling Man</a> to be more accessible and enjoyable. This novel in particular deals with a man under siege from just about every direction with a &quot;healthy&quot; dose of self-in...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22455602">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22455602]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22455602]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>48134217</id>
    <user>
    <id>2090360</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Abe]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2090360-abe-riesman]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1236059574p3/2090360.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1236059574p2/2090360.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Mar 03 13:19:13 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Mar 03 13:20:59 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[a short read; not really worth a whole lot. bellow hadn't really found his voice yet when he wrote this one.<br/><br/>it's mainly interesting not for its characters but for its depiction of late-1940s NYC. it's funny--bellow may not have even intended for the setting to be so compelling, given how...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48134217">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48134217]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48134217]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>73814301</id>
    <user>
    <id>31111</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Billy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Troy, MI]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31111-billy]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1223620046p3/31111.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1223620046p2/31111.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Oct 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Oct 07 20:06:12 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Oct 15 23:41:32 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This was a decent read, though I'm a bit partial to these sorts of books. It got a little repetitive at times, as if Bellow couldn't quite decide how quickly he wanted the conflict to evolve. The characters are well-drawn and there were plenty of opportunities to dig deep into lots of interesting th...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73814301">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73814301]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73814301]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>75868021</id>
    <user>
    <id>1904061</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Asa]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Göteborg, 28, Sweden]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1904061-asa]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-U-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="1001-books" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Oct 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Oct 27 02:53:19 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Oct 27 02:53:19 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I had to force myself to finish this book, mostly because the main character, Asa Leventhal, really annoyed me. He's a Jew working for a trade magazine in New York and happily married, when suddenly a man he knew slightly years ago appears and accuses Asa of ruining his life. This book combines two ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75868021">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75868021]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75868021]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>9227439</id>
    <user>
    <id>154251</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Alana]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brooklyn, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/154251-alana]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1182866789p3/154251.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1182866789p2/154251.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Nov 17 06:42:00 -0800 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jan 04 06:40:05 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[While the title hints at a &quot;unique&quot; victim, &quot;THE&quot; victim, Bellow refuses such simple categorization (if the simple unique/general differentiation can even be made [which it cannot, I don't think]).  The victim is at once the most unique and simultaneously the most general situati...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9227439">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9227439]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9227439]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>62817524</id>
    <user>
    <id>2484736</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Wightknyte11]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Denver, CO]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2484736-wightknyte11]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-U-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Dec 10 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jul 09 14:33:03 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 09 14:33:03 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Bellow is a master of emotions.  I felt like I was living Leventhal's turmoil rather than just reading about it.  It wearies the nerves a little bit, but works masterfully for the story.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62817524]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62817524]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>38975343</id>
    <user>
    <id>1762561</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Steven]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Highland Park, IL]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1762561-steven]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Nov 30 16:51:16 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Nov 30 16:59:40 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is the first Bellow book I have read and I was not disappointed. As it says on the back cover...&quot;Anything by Bellow is worth a dozen other novels&quot;. So true. What a magnificent writer!]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38975343]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38975343]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>46994017</id>
    <user>
    <id>966891</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Brandon]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/966891-brandon]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1204682701p3/966891.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1204682701p2/966891.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Nov 04 00:00:00 -0800 2003</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Feb 20 16:13:30 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Feb 20 16:13:30 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I'm not sure I understood it all, and when I try to remember it, it's mixed up in my brain with &quot;Seize the Day.&quot; I should probably read it again.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46994017]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46994017]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>4429174</id>
    <user>
    <id>4693</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Ø¹Ù„ÛŒ]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[3050, Denmark]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4693]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1243249939p3/4693.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1243249939p2/4693.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="novels" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Aug 12 09:07:11 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Oct 09 00:51:53 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Interesting to think at the end; who is the victim, Asa Leventhal, his brother Max, Albee, Mary, one of them or all of them! In a labirenth of scenes, one after another, you face with lots of ordinary, and at the same time very important things in manâ€™s life, what makes you thinking about your res...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4429174">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4429174]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4429174]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>54019896</id>
    <user>
    <id>898247</id>
    <name><![CDATA[David]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Seattle, WA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/898247-david]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1261889855p3/898247.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1261889855p2/898247.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="read-in-2009" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon May 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Apr 26 11:03:17 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon May 18 21:20:06 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I liked this better than Seize the Day, which tends to get high marks. I'm looking forward to reading Ravelstein plus Herzog or Augie March sometime this year; from there I ought to be able to figure out my opinion of Bellow. With what I've read so far, I'm not impressed yet but still intrigued. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54019896]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54019896]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>7491595</id>
    <user>
    <id>447065</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Chuybacca]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Francisco, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/447065-chuybacca]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1191455793p3/447065.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1191455793p2/447065.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Oct 09 13:10:09 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Oct 30 16:12:13 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[As I was reading this book, I enjoyed the writing and was intrigued by the progression of events. However, once I finished it, I didn't grasp the whole of the book. I felt disappointed. <br/><br/>But then I realized that I couldn't stop thinking about it. I think everyone can think of a time in th...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7491595">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7491595]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7491595]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>46415946</id>
    <user>
    <id>2002904</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Chris]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Los Angeles, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2002904-chris]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1236644112p3/2002904.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1236644112p2/2002904.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Feb 15 09:55:42 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Feb 15 09:56:11 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is pre-good Bellow. Avoid]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46415946]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46415946]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>38709321</id>
    <user>
    <id>1753518</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Shaun]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1753518-shaun]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-U-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Nov 26 14:05:43 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Nov 26 14:06:19 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Again, read years ago.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38709321]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38709321]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>6499003</id>
    <user>
    <id>398773</id>
    <name><![CDATA[daniel]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brooklyn, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/398773-daniel]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1190313570p3/398773.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1190313570p2/398773.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[your grandfather.]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Sep 20 11:46:08 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Oct 21 09:57:43 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[i'm not sure what to say about this one. for one thing, it's utterly boring. yet it's penetrating and deep as well. after fifty pages i was ready to cast it aside, but bellow is a fantastic writer and he paints his protagonist with such human strokes that i felt compelled to see him through. <br/>i...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6499003">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6499003]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6499003]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>4276841</id>
    <user>
    <id>242358</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Brandon]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Portland, OR]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/242358-brandon]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1185949024p3/242358.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1185949024p2/242358.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">11907</id>
  <isbn>0140189386</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780140189384</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">33</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Victim]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710m/11907.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166489710s/11907.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11907.The_Victim</link>
  <average_rating>3.49</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>259</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Bellow's second novel charts the descent into paranoia of Asa Leventhal, sub-editor of a trade magazine. With his wife away visiting her mother, Asa is alone, but not for long. His sister-in-law summons him to Staten Island to help with his sick nephew. Other demands mount, and readers witness a man losing control.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1964</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Aug 08 14:49:26 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Aug 08 14:49:26 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[bellow is a genius. i know this because i absolutely hated the main character of this book to the point of visceral reaction. it made me think for a minute that i might have hated the book, but in reality bellow made me hate a character so enormously that i was momentarily confused: a mark of an exc...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4276841">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4276841]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4276841]]></link>
</review>
    </reviews>
  <popular_shelves>
          <shelf name="to-read" />
          <shelf name="fiction" />
          <shelf name="1001" />
          <shelf name="classics" />
          <shelf name="1001-books-to-read-before-you-die" />
          <shelf name="1001-books" />
          <shelf name="currently-reading" />
          <shelf name="1001-to-read" />
          <shelf name="novels" />
          <shelf name="wish-list" />
      </popular_shelves>
  <book_links>
    <book_link>
  <id>8</id>
  <name><![CDATA[WorldCat]]></name>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=11907</link>
</book_link>
  </book_links>
</book>
</GoodreadsResponse>