It’s been far, far too long since my last book review. I’ll definitely try to upload book-related posts with more frequency going forward.

Anyway, The Adventures of Augie March was quite the ride. It covers a pretty large time-span, mapping out our hero Augie’s life all the way from his childhood into adulthood. Augie March truly is the modern-day Dickens novel, taking the reader through a huge string of events throughout the protagonist’s life, as they look for direction and attempt to make a living for themselves in a failing economy. Augie is an incredible character: he’s got so many layers and so much depth that I can barely even scratch the surface of his personality in this review, but I guess I’ll try.

As the brilliant opening line puts it, Augie goes at life as he’s been taught: freestyle. He never sticks in one place for long, and always either loses his job or plain rejects it in favor of some other opportunity, which he will soon do the same with. He finds it almost physically impossible to settle down for more than a couple months at most; he’s always on the move and never looks back. Along the way he tries his best to find some sort of meaning to it all, meeting new people along the way that always manage to challenge his preconceptions and outlook. Saul Bellow has written one of the greatest character arcs I’ve ever had the pleasure to read, and with two more books on the two lists I’m reading through, I can’t wait to read more by him.

Image Source: The New Yorker

If I have any complaints, it’s that the book is just rather disorganized. I can’t really complain though, as that’s pretty much by design. With a concept and plot like this one, it wouldn’t be the same were it well-organized. There are a large amount of characters to keep track of, with Augie’s entire family, his circle of friends, his many, many employers, romantic interests, and the list just goes on. It’s pretty easy to lose track with so many characters and such a loose, intentionally aimless narrative structure. Stick to it, however, and the experience is hugely rewarding.

So, The Adventures of Augie March was an excellent novel. It took me an abnormally long time to get through it, but the time put in was absolutely worth it. Saul Bellow is a brilliant writer, and I greatly look forward to reading more by him in the future. If you’re interested in a long, enthralling journey with great characterization and poetic writing, I’ve got the book for you.

Next Up: Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence (1913)