The Life of Saul Bellow

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In the second volume of The Life of Saul Bellow, Bellow, at forty-nine, stands at the peak of American literature—wealthy, celebrated, and critically lauded. Contrary to the expected decline, he continued to produce remarkable works, including Mr. Sammler's Planet and Humboldt's Gift, while garnering two more National Book Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, and the Nobel Prize. Even at eighty, he penned his last story and, at eighty-five, completed Ravelstein. This volume reveals a life outside his writing, with a love life that is even more dramatic than in the first. Publicly, he engaged in controversies surrounding foreign affairs, race, religion, and culture. His relationships with women were complex; in the 1960s, he was promiscuous despite criticizing sexual liberation. His partners were often intelligent and strong-willed. At eighty-five, he welcomed a daughter with his fifth wife, while his relationships with his three sons were often tumultuous. Although an early supporter of civil rights, he later criticized the excesses of Black Power. Bellow's influence in literary circles was significant, as he advised various institutes, often with a sharp tongue. His energy and will remained evident throughout his life, highlighting both his monumental achievements and their personal costs.