The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 22, 1975, Page Page 6, Image 6
Bellow's Humboldt
quite enjoyable
By DUNCAN MANSFIELD
Gamecock Staff Writer
American literature today is in downright poor shape. Highly touted
young writers of the last decade, with the notable exception of Pynchon,
have not met critical expectations. - Older, established writers like
Miller. Roth, Albee, Capote, etc., are simply that: old. And then we
have Saul Bellow, now 60, producing Humboldt's Gift, (Viking, $10) a
novel that easily ranks among his best.
VON HUMBOLDT Fleisher, the omnipresent character of Bellow's
story, was a popular, avant-garde 1940's poet, who dies poor and mad in
1970. Charles Citrine, a young, aspiring writer befriends his idol,
Humboldt, in Greenwich Village when the poet is at his height. Hum
boldt's Gift takes off from the premise that Humboldt is now a
declaimed poet and dead, while Charlie has become a Pulitzer winning
author.
Through the course of the novel,
ook s the reader finds that Charlie's
success is shaky. 'Indeed, Charlie
is nearly broke. But Humboldt,
since estranged by Charlie, leaves a will. Charlie is left a legacy, and it
is this gift from Humboldt that saves him just as it appears he is going
under for the last time.
* Bellow embellishes the plot with some masterly realized characters.
Charlie's bitchy, divorced wife, Denise, is soaking Charlie for every
penny he has in alimony. Renata, Charlie's beautiful, young mistress,
is hanging on to Charlie for both his money and the hope of marriage.
Rinaldo Cantabile, a hyper-tensive Mafioso, enters Charlie's life by
making a shambles of Charlie's Mercedes with a baseball bat, and tries
thereafter to redeem himself by offering Charlie certain "good deals"
affixed to the criminal underworld.
ONCE AGAIN, Bello provides in Humboldt's Gift that wonderful
Jewish, New York-Chicago, literary ambiance that pervades his best
work; particularly Herzog and Mr. Sammler's Plant. For those who
have never read Bellow before, I suggest that you pick up one of these
earlier novels, which are shorter than Humboldt's Gift, to get a feeling
for Bellow's genius.
The only fault in Humboldt's Gift is the occassional inclusion of
repetitious information. The book is long, 487 pages, and I suspect
Bellow believes the reader will forget certain events, descriptions,
persons, etc., which he mentions in the beginning of the novel and ties in
at the end. Of course, this is done for a purpose, but I do not think a
whole re-hash s necessary. I find this sloppy editing, for what else can
it be attributed to? It detracts from an otherwise easy flowing
narrative.
I recommend Humboldt's Gift to the college reader, despite its length
and hardback price, not only because it is a representative work of one
of America's greatest living authors, but that it is in itself a fine novel.
WSK'e Eedll at Se1M, 9xe.
P.O. 8ex 4618 Ct&ie, S.C.
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MOTHES
and the SoI
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Friday, Sept. 26. Admis
Beer available inside,
2nd floor Russell Hous
A bus will run from
regularly from 8:30 c
Proof of a
Sponsored by
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HOW Ti
V A.C. Al
Voluntary Action Coi
Carolina Cares Chair
Thwrs., Sept. 25, S'
Also on the agenda:
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on Your Permanent Reci
* How You Can Help Spec
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c?oMnK ON
sellers
7...Slammer-Greer
8.. . All the President's Men--Bernstein and Wood
ward
9... Something Happeneded--Heller
to.. How to Talk to Anybody
....About Anything--Walters
This list was compiled from sales at the Campus
Corner Book Store and the Joyful Alternative.
FINEST
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uard Armory, Bluff Rd.
sion $1.50 9:00 til?
advance tickets at the
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redit
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ial Olympics.
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