Humboldt's Gift

"What Bellow is trying to do with the novel form is, of course, immensely ambitious and very difficult. In HERZOG, he brought it off by the letter device and the fine madness of the hero. Charlie Citrine is an interesting study in the competing urges of the flesh and the spirit, money-making and truth-seeking, but he is over-indulged by his creator. The novel would have been vastly improved by ruthless cutting; as it stands it is chiefly memorable for its many comic moments, superb descriptive snapshots of Chicago and brilliant mimicry of lawyers, businessmen and crooks. And that, it must be said, is a lot to be grateful for."Bellow, Saul is the author of 'Humboldt's Gift', published 1996 under ISBN 9780140189445 and ISBN 0140189440.