Synopses & Reviews
Simply the best writer we have. (The New York Times Book Review)
Vikings publication of Saul Bellows most recent novel, Ravelstein, was an event that garnered unanimous critical acclaim and placed its author back in the spotlight as one of Americas literary treasures. Now, for the first time ever, here is a collection of shorter works chosen by Bellow himself: favorite stories that follow the arc of his distinguished career. Collected Fiction gathers together stories from Mosbys Memoirs, Him with His Foot in His Mouth, and Something to Remember Me By, as well as an early story that to date has appeared only in Esquire magazine. This volume contains a preface by Bellows wife, Janis, and an introduction by James Wood and includes celebrated stories such as Leaving the Yellow House and What Kind of Day Did You Have? and the novella The Bellarosa Connection. Throughout, Bellows trademark theme of self-awakening, his stunning ability to re-create a bygone Chicago, and his unique comic wisdom are magnificently illustrated. This collection is both a handsome anthology Bellows avid readers will treasure and a superb introduction to those unacquainted with his genius.
Review
"Bellow's incremental sound or noise rejects imitation the way the human immune system will reject foreign tissue. There are no part-Bellows or next-generation Bellows, ther are no literary descendants." Cynthia Ozick, The New Republic
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"Bellow's special appeal is that in his characteristically American way he has managed brilliantly to close the gap between Thomas Mann and Damon Runyon." Philip Roth, The New Republic
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"No modern writer has better constructed this anxious and very serious comedy, more clearly defined the encounter between thought and the labyrinth, more exactly captured the strange Byzantine, parrot-filled meeting places of modern thought, modern heart, and modern silence." Malcomlm Bradbury, The Guardian
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"Reading Bellow is a special way of being alive." James Wood, The New Republic
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"Bellow, in his best work, conveys the feel, the texture of moment-by-moment experience more thrillingly than any other American writer, present or past....When you read Saul Bellow's work, you become more alive." Brian Morton, The Chicago Tribune