The Adventures of Augie March

Description

This is the fictional autobiography of a rum bustious adventurer and poker-player who sets off from his n ative Chicago in the spirit of a latter-day Columbus to redi scover the world - and more especially, 20th century America . '

Saul Bellow was born in Canada but brought to Chicago at the age of nine and educated there. He attended the Universities of Chicago, Northwestern and Wisconsin as well as fitting in a wartime stint in the Merchant Marine. His first novel - Dangling Man - was published when he was in his twenties. Later novels, The Victim, The Adventures of Augie March, Seize the Day, Henderson the Rain King, Herzog, Mr Sammler's Planet, Humboldt's Gift, The Dean's December and Him With His Foot In His Mouth And Other Stories have brought him innumerable literary grants, awards, prizes, scholarships, fellowships and honours not only in his own country but internationally as well. He is probably the only man to have received an Honorary Degree from both Harvard and Yale in the same year. He has also written plays, short stories, articles for learned journals, been a war correspondent in Israel and held positions in a number of universities in the United States and elsewhere. He speaks four or five languages and has travelled extensively. In 1976 Saul Bellow was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1984 President Mitterand made him a commander of the Legion of Honour.

"The Adventures of Augie March" is the Great American Novel. Search no further. (Martin Amis) If there's a candidate for the Great American Novel, I think this is it. (Salman Rushdie) "The Adventures of Augie March is the Great American Novel. Search no further."