Hersog

Author: (American) Saul Bellow, translated by Song Zhaolin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Hersog is one of Bellow's most important representative works. It was a bestseller that once caused a sensation as "highbrow literature" and played a crucial role in the entire course of the author's creative career. The protagonist, Hersog, is a university professor who is sensitive and kind but faces a series of setbacks in real life—divorce from his family and rejection by society, which leaves him extremely frustrated with the state of the world and on the brink of mental collapse. He can only vent his inner frustrations by writing many letters that he never sends, expressing his personal views. The core of his distress lies in the chaotic world he lives in, where he cannot find a place to stand. The novel realistically portrays the anxieties and confusion of middle-class intellectuals in modern society, their pursuit and exploration. It is also one of his novels that deals with social issues the most, rich in content, profound in meaning, and exquisite in analysis, with diverse techniques. It is a of Bellow's literary art.