Saul Bellow Biography
Saul Bellow once said that “Fiction is the higher autobiography.” And true to his words, Bellow infused his work with incidents and characters from his own life and beloved hometown of Chicago. It was a method that worked well: he has garnered more awards for his writing than any other American author, including the Nobel Prize in literature, three Pulitzer Prizes, and the Presidential Medal of Honor. In addition to using personal experience in his writing—shown to particularly good effect in his much-loved breakthrough novel The Adventures of Augie March—Bellow considered himself to be a “historian of society,” and his anthropological approach is apparent in critical and popular successes such as Henderson the Rain King, Herzog, and Mr. Sammler’s Planet.
Facts and Trivia
- Although considered a through-and-through American, Bellow was not actually born in the United States. He was born in Quebec and didn’t move to the United States until he was nine years old.
- Bellow’s mother wanted him to be either a rabbi or a concert violinist. However, during a hospitalization at age eight, Bellow fell in love with literature and committed to that path for the rest of his life.
- One of his closest friends was the writer Ralph Ellison.
- He once said that the character Eugene Henderson (from Henderson the Rain King), a pig farmer and violinist, was the most like himself.
- Regarding his craft, Bellow claimed, “The writer’s art appears to seek compensation for the hopelessness or meanness of existence.”
Biography
Saul Bellow, an eminent American novelist, is celebrated for his profound contributions to literature, including winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1976. Over several decades, Bellow penned nine novels along with numerous short stories and articles, achieving international acclaim. His works delve into themes of identity, existentialism, and societal critique, securing him a prominent place in the literary canon.
Formative Years
Born in 1915 in Lachine, Canada, Saul Bellow was the youngest of four children in a family that had emigrated from Russia. His upbringing was steeped in language and culture, as he became fluent in English, French, Yiddish, and Hebrew. At the age of nine, Bellow's family relocated to Chicago, where he spent countless hours immersed in the world of books at public libraries. By the time he reached Tuley High School, he had already embarked on writing fiction. Upon graduating in 1933, Bellow began attending the University of Chicago, later transferring to Northwestern University, where he founded a socialist club and earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology and sociology in 1937.
He briefly attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin before leaving to marry Anita Goshkin, a social worker, with whom he had a son, Gregory. Continuing his passion for writing, Bellow published his first story in 1941 and worked on biographies for the Works Progress Administration Writers Project. He also contributed to the "Great Books" program under Mortimer Adler at the Encyclopædia Britannica and dabbled in teaching. His first novel, Dangling Man, was published in 1944, followed by The Victim in 1947, both attracting attention for their existential themes and European influences, particularly that of Dostoevsky.
With the aid of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1948, Bellow embarked on a writing career that flourished more than any of his contemporaries. However, his personal life mirrored the turbulence many successful people experience. After his marriage to Anita ended in a contentious divorce, Bellow remarried twice more over the next two decades, with his wives and himself often inspiring characters in his novels. These characters, though typically more imposing than Bellow himself, were not necessarily more attractive. Bellow's distinct appearance — with deep-set eyes and prematurely silver hair — mirrored the complexity of his personal life and offered an unexpected parallel to Ernest Hemingway, despite the latter's minimal influence on him.
Literary Achievements
The publication of The Adventures of Augie March in 1953 marked Bellow's first major success. This partly autobiographical novel, reminiscent of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, was both a commercial and critical triumph, earning Bellow the first of his three National Book Awards for Fiction. In 1955, he was awarded another Guggenheim Fellowship, and in 1956, he married Alexandra Tschacbasov, with whom he had a son, Adam.
Bellow's novella, Seize the Day, appeared in 1956 alongside three stories and a play. The novella's concise style starkly contrasts with the expansive narrative of The Adventures of Augie March, offering a poignant depiction of Tommy Wilhelm's struggles. The novella concludes with an evocative scene in a funeral parlor that underscores its emotional depth, contrasting with the intellectual focus of Bellow's other works.
Bellow's personal favorite, Henderson the Rain King, published in 1959, is a "quest romance" set in Africa, featuring the larger-than-life Henderson. Though not universally acclaimed, the novel showcased Bellow's creative range. After spending a decade in the New York area, Bellow returned to Chicago, joining the University of Chicago's Committee on Social Thought in 1962. His novel Herzog , released in 1964, was another bestseller, praised for its realism and earning him several major awards, including a second...
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National Book Award.
In 1968, Bellow published Mosby's Memoirs and Other Stories, further demonstrating his mastery of the short story. That same year, he was honored in France with the Croix de Chevalier des Arts et Lettres. However, his personal life was again in turmoil, culminating in a contentious divorce from Susan Glassman. His political views diverged from most leftist intellectuals, particularly after attending a White House dinner in 1965, leading to his eventual identification as an establishment figure.
Despite mixed critical reception for Mr. Sammler's Planet in 1970, the novel won Bellow his third National Book Award. The story of an elderly Polish Jew navigating life in an American metropolis provided a conservative critique of contemporary culture, showcasing Bellow's versatility.
In Humboldt's Gift (1975), protagonist Charles Citrine reflects on his relationship with Humboldt, drawing inspiration from real-life poets known to Bellow. Although the novel's style was uneven, Bellow's detailed observations were noteworthy. This critique applied to The Dean's December (1982), which contrasted Eastern and Western political systems through protagonist Albert Corde. Bellow's nonfiction work To Jerusalem and Back (1976) similarly explored complex geopolitical themes.
Winning the Pulitzer Prize for Humboldt's Gift in 1975 preceded Bellow's Nobel Prize win in 1976. During this period, Bellow married Alexandra Bagdasar Tulcea, a Romanian professor at Northwestern. The character Minna in The Dean's December is likely inspired by Tulcea, as the novel concludes with a depiction of an affectionate and respectful marriage, hinting at newfound personal contentment for Bellow.
Legacy and Influence
Saul Bellow's novels offer a lens into American culture, drawing from his own experiences as both a son of Russian-Jewish immigrants and a person navigating his identity within society. Through works like The Adventures of Augie March, Bellow articulates the struggles of assimilation and the complexities of Jewish identity in America. While his themes often explore assimilation, Bellow ultimately embraces it, reflecting the United States' diverse yet sometimes discordant nature.
Bellow sees himself primarily as an American writer with Jewish heritage, rather than a Jewish writer, despite his deep connection with Jewish identity and issues. His exploration of philosophical and intellectual ideas takes precedence over religious practice, shaping his literary focus. Bellow's novels challenge readers to consider their roles within society and their internal conflicts, making a significant impact in a literary landscape where intellectual novels are scarce.
Although Bellow rarely discusses patriotism, his narratives often depict society as a backdrop to individual struggles. His characters, marked by sensitivity and awareness, navigate worlds that offer new perspectives with each novel. Bellow's works have not only captivated American readers but have also resonated internationally, broadening the scope of American literature and enhancing its global sophistication.
Further Reading
Braham, Jeanne. A Sort of Columbus: The American Voyages of Saul Bellow’s Fiction. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1984. This book highlights the American themes in Bellow's work, though it touches on biographical elements only incidentally.
Dutton, Robert R. Saul Bellow. Revised edition, Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1982. A concise and readable biography is found in the first chapter, complemented by a chronology of Bellow's life and work and a selected bibliography.
Fuchs, Daniel. Saul Bellow: Vision and Revision. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1984. Offers incidental biographical references but includes noteworthy chapters on "Bellow and the Modern Tradition" and "Bellow and the Example of Dostoevsky," along with a substantial chapter on The Dean’s December.
Harris, Mark. Saul Bellow: Drumlin Woodchuck. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1980. An anecdotal yet well-documented account of Harris’ interactions with Bellow during the 1960s, illustrating how Bellow's personal life influenced his characters.
Newman, Judie. Saul Bellow and History. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1984. Focuses on historical themes central to Bellow’s work and includes an excellent bibliography.
Wilson, Jonathan. On Bellow’s Planet: Readings from the Dark Side. London: Associated University Presses, 1985. Offers an original and perceptive analysis of all nine of Bellow’s novels, with biographical details provided only casually. Features a well-selected bibliography.