Dangling Man
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| Author | Saul Bellow |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | |
| Released | 1944 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | NA |
| Preceded by | first novel |
| Followed by | ''The Victim'' |
Dangling Man is a 1944 novel by Saul Bellow. It is his first published work.
[edit] Plot summary
Written in diary format, the story centers on the life of an unemployed young man named Joseph, his relationships with his wife and friends, and his frustrations with life. Living in Chicago and waiting to be drafted, the diary acts as a philosophical confessional for his musings. It ends with his entrance into the army during World War II, and a hope that the regimentation of army life will relieve his suffering. Along with Bellow's second novel The Victim, it is considered his "apprentice" work.
[edit] Literary significance & criticism
Some critics including Edmund Wilson and Kenneth Fearing deplored the novel's lack of a definite plot, but praised Bellow's depiction of what they saw as the characteristic features of the generation of American intellectuals raised during the Great Depression.
| Works by Saul Bellow |
|---|
| Novels: Dangling Man • The Victim • The Adventures of Augie March • Seize the Day • Henderson the Rain King • Herzog • Humboldt's Gift • The Dean's December • More Die of Heartbreak • A Theft • The Bellarosa Connection • The Actual • Ravelstein Short Stories : Mosby's Memoirs • Him with His Foot in His Mouth • Something to Remember Me By: Three Tales • Collected Stories • |
