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Saul Bellow

Born

in Lachine, Quebec, Canada

June 10, 1915

Died

April 05, 2005

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Nonfiction

Influences

Dostoyevsky, James Joyce, Thomas Mann, Anton Chekov, The bible, Willia ...more

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Novels of Saul Bellow, Canadian-American writer, include Dangling Man in 1944 and Humboldt's Gift in 1975 and often concern an alienated individual within an indifferent society; he won the Nobel Prize of 1976 for literature.

People widely regard one most important Saul Bellow of the 20th century. Known for his rich prose, intellectual depth, and incisive character studies, Bellow explored themes of identity and the complexities of modern life with a distinct voice that fused philosophical insight and streetwise humor. Herzog , The Adventures of Augie March , and Mister Sammler’s Planet , his major works, earned critical acclaim and a lasting legacy.

Born in Lachine, Quebec, to Russian-Jewish immigrants, Saul Bellow at a yo Novels of Saul Bellow, Canadian-American writer, include Dangling Man in 1944 and Humboldt's Gift in 1975 and often concern an alienated individual within an indifferent society; he won the Nobel Prize of 1976 for literature.

People widely regard one most important Saul Bellow of the 20th century. Known for his rich prose, intellectual depth, and incisive character studies, Bellow explored themes of identity and the complexities of modern life with a distinct voice that fused philosophical insight and streetwise humor. Herzog , The Adventures of Augie March , and Mister Sammler’s Planet , his major works, earned critical acclaim and a lasting legacy.

Born in Lachine, Quebec, to Russian-Jewish immigrants, Saul Bellow at a young age moved with his family to Chicago, a city that shaped much worldview and a frequent backdrop in his fiction. He studied anthropology at the University of Chicago and later Northwestern, and his intellectual interests deeply informed him. Bellow briefly pursued graduate studies in anthropology, quickly turned, and first published.

Breakthrough of Saul Bellow came with The Adventures of Augie March , a sprawling, exuberance that in 1953 marked the national book award and a new direction in fiction. With energetic language and episodic structure, it introduced readers to a new kind of unapologetically intellectual yet deeply grounded hero in the realities of urban life. Over the following decades, Bellow produced a series of acclaimed that further cemented his reputation. In Herzog , considered his masterpiece in 1964, a psychological portrait of inner turmoil of a troubled academic unfolds through a series of unsent letters, while a semi-autobiographical reflection on art and fame gained the Pulitzer Prize.

In 1976, people awarded human understanding and subtle analysis of contemporary culture of Saul Bellow. He only thrice gained the national book award for fiction and also received the medal of arts and the lifetime achievement of the library of Congress.

Beyond fiction, Saul Bellow, a passionate essayist, taught. He held academic positions at institutions, such as the University of Minnesota, Princeton, and Boston University, and people knew his sharp intellect and lively classroom presence. Despite his stature, Bellow cared about ordinary people and infused his work with humor, moral reflection, and a deep appreciation of contradictions of life.

People can see influence of Saul Bellow in the work of countless followers. His uniquely and universally resonant voice ably combined the comic, the profound, the intellectual, and the visceral. He continued into his later years to publish his final Ravelstein in 2000.

People continue to read work of Saul Bellow and to celebrate its wisdom, vitality, and fearless examination of humanity in a chaotic world.
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Combine Editions
Saul Bellow’s books

Average rating: 3.72 · 120,325 ratings · 10,170 reviews · 267 distinct works • Similar authors

	Herzog by Saul Bellow, Philip Roth (Introduction) 3.75 avg rating — 23,438 ratings — published 1964 — 254 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow, Christopher Hitchens (Introduction) 3.83 avg rating — 19,207 ratings — published 1953 — 162 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Henderson the Rain King 3.76 avg rating — 16,414 ratings — published 1959 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Seize the Day by Saul Bellow, Cynthia Ozick 3.53 avg rating — 14,125 ratings — published 1956 — 148 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Humboldt's Gift 3.84 avg rating — 10,352 ratings — published 1975 — 67 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ravelstein 3.63 avg rating — 4,348 ratings — published 2000 — 90 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mr. Sammler's Planet 3.75 avg rating — 3,967 ratings — published 1970	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dangling Man 3.51 avg rating — 3,923 ratings — published 1944 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Victim 3.55 avg rating — 2,446 ratings — published 1947 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Actual : A Novella 3.23 avg rating — 1,888 ratings — published 1997 — 48 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Polls

September 2015 New School Classic Poll

1928, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, 296 pages

27 votes, 19.9%

1991, Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder, 403 pages

23 votes, 16.9%

1972, Watership Down by Richard Adams, 478 pages

19 votes, 14.0%

1954, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, 160 pages

18 votes, 13.2%

1931, Light in August by William Faulkner, 507 pages

15 votes, 11.0%

1984, The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa, 544 pages

9 votes, 6.6%

1953, Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin, 290 pages

9 votes, 6.6%

1943, The Makioka Sisters by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, 530 pages

6 votes, 4.4%

1929, Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe, 644 pages

6 votes, 4.4%

1953, The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow, 586 pages

4 votes, 2.9%

136 total votes

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