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Author Saul Bellow booklist (click here)

Book Review By Damon LaBarbera
Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellow

Humboldt's Gift is Saul Bellow's brilliant, fictionalized account of his relationship with poet Delmore Schwartz ("Von Humboldt Fleisher" in the story). Schwartz achieved literary celebrity at a tender age but was ruined by alcoholism and bipolar disorder. The novel describes the increasingly difficult relationship between Bellow ("Charlie Citrine") and the tragic Scwhartz, until the latter's premature death, while living in obscurity.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's
Life of a profession:
Internal struggle/realization? Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Job/Profession/Status story Yes
Brain/Body disability? - mental illness

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 40's-50's
Ethnicity/Nationality

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status:
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Genius

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 6 ()
United States Yes

Writing Style
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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