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The Human Comedy

William Saroyan

Start date: July 1, 2026

Finish date: August 31, 2026

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Sep 27, 2016 Chrissie rated it really liked it

Shelves: usa, audible-uk, hf, immigrants, philo-psychol, bio, 2016-read

I like this book so much because it wonderfully portrays how life is a battle for young and old and the in-between, for all of us. The characters in the book are each fighting different battles, from the youngest of only four caught in a trap, losing a father, missing a brother and confused by the general state of the world around him, to an elderly telegrapher who cannot bear the consequences of war in his hometown (Ithaca, San Joaquin Valley, California) or for that matter the general state of I like this book so much because it wonderfully portrays how life is a battle for young and old and the in-between, for all of us. The characters in the book are each fighting different battles, from the youngest of only four caught in a trap, losing a father, missing a brother and confused by the general state of the world around him, to an elderly telegrapher who cannot bear the consequences of war in his hometown (Ithaca, San Joaquin Valley, California) or for that matter the general state of the world, war 1942. Neither understands the incomprehensibility of life. Each battle is as important as the other. I saw and understood ALL the characters’ personal battles. Some die. Some falter. Some are strong. Just as in real life. In this book you see everyone’s battle, and I liked that very much.

The common battle, that which the characters and we are all fighting, is our attempt to make sense of the craziness of the world we live in. Look at the title: The Human Comedy! We struggle; we try to reach understanding of a world that is not understandable. It is this that is the human comedy.

There is a lot in this story that probably would not happen; for this reason alone I shouldn’t like it as much as I do.

Faith is an integral part of the story. I would love to have faith, but I don’t. This could have been a stumbling block for my appreciation of the story, but because faith is not shoved upon the reader it is not a problem either.

I loved that each individual’s battle felt real, vital and worthy of battle. A four-year- old’s, a fourteen-year-old’s, a half-wit’s, a soldier’s, the town’s ancient history teacher’s. I saw kindness, and I saw meanness.

The audiobook narration is by Meg Ryan. I discovered that this story has just this month, September 2016, come out as a new film entitled Ithaca . Meg Ryan both directs and acts in the film. Her diverse intonations did not work for me, but she is easy to follow. The audiobook narration is not bad.

I have read that the novel has autobiographical content, but I don’t know more than that. Neither do I understand what the author was trying to say by taking names and places from Homer’s Odyssey. Is it the draw of home? But what is “home”? Is it necessarily a place or is it more than that? Is it our need to believe in goodness and truth and kindness, the things we often associate with our earliest childhood and home? I am not sure. ...more

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Jan 31, 2015 Josh Caporale rated it it was amazing

I first came across William Saroyan's written work when I was in seventh grade, where a complete section in our book consisted of Saroyan's shorter works. The first work, and the one that stayed with me the most, was a short work known as "The Telegram," that was a poignant account where a telegraph messenger named Homer had to deliver the news to a mother that her son was killed in combat. I am sure that I was aware that this story was part of a larger work and years later, I decided to look fo I first came across William Saroyan's written work when I was in seventh grade, where a complete section in our book consisted of Saroyan's shorter works. The first work, and the one that stayed with me the most, was a short work known as "The Telegram," that was a poignant account where a telegraph messenger named Homer had to deliver the news to a mother that her son was killed in combat. I am sure that I was aware that this story was part of a larger work and years later, I decided to look for that work.

It turned out being part of The Human Comedy, which was a novel set in Ithaca in California during the Second World War, where Homer is the central character growing up during a devastating time, while also living his life like anyone would live their life despite this intense and somewhat nerve-wracking time. Homer lives his mother and siblings, including an older brother, Marcus, that is off at war. His younger brother, Ulysses, gets himself caught up in a lot of issues himself, such as getting stuck in a bear trap at a store. The message to this novel is that despite the horrific situations that are taking place during this particular time period (in this case, World War II), life has to go on for the rest of humanity, which signifies its comedic element.

For its time, place, and lens, this novel was outstanding! I feel that this is a novel that can continue being studied for how it captures a moment of history while also paying attention to humanity in general. It assures us the illusion of the life inside and outside of war and how there is a great separation that is unfortunate, but also necessary in allowing life outside of war to remain stable. You are bound to develop a heartfelt connection in the characters in this work for so many reasons and I feel that Saroyan does an outstanding job developing that emotional bond.

I wish that this novel was much easier to find, much more available to the general population, and presented much more on curriculums and recommended reading lists. It was the second best novel I read in 2015 for a reason! ...more

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Feb 10, 2024 Jurate Stanaityte rated it it was amazing

First, don't read this in public, if you do not want strangers to see you weep.
Then, I do not know if there is any other book about raw empathy. This must be The One. The most beautiful book that will give you all empathy you were missing from the surrounding world of the last two decades or so.
Third, any angry person should be given a time-out as long as is needed for them to read this book. ...more

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