THE ADVENTURES OF AUGIE MARCH

This is a wonderful book, if wonderful still means full of wonder. It has more conventional virtues as well. Mr. Bellow has taken a legendary time in the United States- the twenties and the depression, and a city, Chicago, that was a legend in that time and set his Ulysses to learning life there. But this is an American legend and an American hero and the author has taken Augie, either in person or his friends, through almost every American experience of the period- slum life, high life, organizing unions, riding the rails, selling paint, grooming dogs, student, thief, etc. as well as lover, friend and a most human human being. The people surrounding him are no less varied and rich in qualities. Through it all Augie moves trying to find his individuality and his destiny. Power after power reaches toward him, or touches him, and teaches him more about himself. It is a book of extremes and superlatives — rough, funny, sad, wild, tender, vulgar, pure- written in a style that is a mid point between stream of consciousness and conversation- as though Augie were thinking to himself in words..... A gorgeous job, with an enormous impact- both intellectual and emotional- which critical attention and publisher pressure may help to carry to the big market.