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1edwinbcn
Carpe Diem. Seize the Day is Saul Bellow's fourth novel, describing the 1950s, a defining decade for American culture. The story of this novel is presented in unity of place and unity of time, to describe events and development in the life of the main protagonist over the course of one single day. It is considered one of the greatest works of Twentieth century literature.
2edwinbcn
Seize the day
Finished reading: 14 May 2014
Seize the day is a difficult book to read, and at first hard to grasp. The main character of the novel, Tommy Wilhelm is an anti-hero. Perhaps this is why the novel is so hard to tackle, as it offers the reader very little to sympathize with its main character. In fact, by the end of the novel, which plays out over the course of a day, the reader thoroughly despises T和main character, unable to feel any compassion or pity for him.
Tommy Wilhelm, whose real name is Wilhem Adler, is a failure. A career in the theatre exists only in him own mind, as he keeps telling himself his career to stardom is just waiting to take off. It is obvious, that his father, Dr. Adler, who appears as a towering and solid rock beside whimpish Tommy, believes his son is beyond help, pitying him in his judgement and inability to take his good council. Although they broke up four years earlier, Tommy's wife must be regarded as truly loyal and devoted in her relentless belief that Tommy can still be and should be the breadwinner of their family. She more or less treats him as a spoilt child, who does not want to take responsibility. As his childish name, Tommy, suggests, Wilhelm's faulty judgement is not only in ignoring his well-wishers, but also following wrong advise. Not only his judgement is impaired, he is not even sure to recognize people for who they are, least of all himself.
I had to read Seize the day three times to make any sense of it, and reading it backwards was the most helpful, as obviously, the culmination and the most telling scenes, for instance, the long telephone call with his wife, occur towards the end of the novel.
Seize the day was written in in the 1950s, but makes more sense being set in the late 1930s or early 1940s. Besides his inability to see himself in the right light, he also hangs on to a lifestyle which clearly isn't his. He lives in the same hotel as his father, in an area where many retired and old people live. Wilhelm fails to capture the spirit of the new epoch. As the American Dream started to take shape, the work ethos of Americans changed to exult "hard work" as the key to success for everyone. Tommy spent seven years in Hollywood to be ready for his career in the theatre. He still hold on to hope, speculation and expectation, much to the irritation of the people around him. However, deep inside he does seem to know what is expected of him, as he looks into the distorting and shadowy mirror and wonders: "He had put forth plent of effort, but that was not the same as working hard, was it?" (p.5).
Other books I have read by Saul Bellow:
The Dean's December
Finished reading: 14 May 2014
Seize the day is a difficult book to read, and at first hard to grasp. The main character of the novel, Tommy Wilhelm is an anti-hero. Perhaps this is why the novel is so hard to tackle, as it offers the reader very little to sympathize with its main character. In fact, by the end of the novel, which plays out over the course of a day, the reader thoroughly despises T和main character, unable to feel any compassion or pity for him.
Tommy Wilhelm, whose real name is Wilhem Adler, is a failure. A career in the theatre exists only in him own mind, as he keeps telling himself his career to stardom is just waiting to take off. It is obvious, that his father, Dr. Adler, who appears as a towering and solid rock beside whimpish Tommy, believes his son is beyond help, pitying him in his judgement and inability to take his good council. Although they broke up four years earlier, Tommy's wife must be regarded as truly loyal and devoted in her relentless belief that Tommy can still be and should be the breadwinner of their family. She more or less treats him as a spoilt child, who does not want to take responsibility. As his childish name, Tommy, suggests, Wilhelm's faulty judgement is not only in ignoring his well-wishers, but also following wrong advise. Not only his judgement is impaired, he is not even sure to recognize people for who they are, least of all himself.
I had to read Seize the day three times to make any sense of it, and reading it backwards was the most helpful, as obviously, the culmination and the most telling scenes, for instance, the long telephone call with his wife, occur towards the end of the novel.
Seize the day was written in in the 1950s, but makes more sense being set in the late 1930s or early 1940s. Besides his inability to see himself in the right light, he also hangs on to a lifestyle which clearly isn't his. He lives in the same hotel as his father, in an area where many retired and old people live. Wilhelm fails to capture the spirit of the new epoch. As the American Dream started to take shape, the work ethos of Americans changed to exult "hard work" as the key to success for everyone. Tommy spent seven years in Hollywood to be ready for his career in the theatre. He still hold on to hope, speculation and expectation, much to the irritation of the people around him. However, deep inside he does seem to know what is expected of him, as he looks into the distorting and shadowy mirror and wonders: "He had put forth plent of effort, but that was not the same as working hard, was it?" (p.5).
Other books I have read by Saul Bellow:
The Dean's December
3baswood
Very interesting review of Seize the Day Edwin. Bellow in my experience is never an easy read . I might be tempted with this one sometime this year.
4StevenTX
Finished this one today. Here is my review:
Seize the Day by Saul Bellow
First published 1956
"A person can become tired of looking himself over and trying to fix himself up. You can spend the entire second half of your life recovering from the mistakes of the first half."
Tommy Wilhelm realizes he has a lot of mistakes to recover from. He is a college dropout who has lost his job, left his wife, and now has given a man he doesn't even like or trust the power of attorney to invest what little money he has left in the commodities market. His rent is due, and his father, a retired physician who lives in the same Manhattan hotel, has refused to help Tommy, saying he must suffer for his own mistakes.
Tommy is not a likable character. He is lazy, careless and slovenly. He jumps at get-rich-quick schemes but scorns honest work if he can live on the charity of others instead. He is increasingly dependent on liquor and drugs and quick to find others to blame for his failures. But his growing despair echoes that of others who are less culpable for their own failings. In one of his more thoughtful moments he ponders the idea that "the business of life, the real business--to carry his peculiar burden, to feel shame and impotence, to taste these quelled tears--the only important business, the highest business was being done. Maybe the making of mistakes expressed the very purpose of his life and the essence of his being here. Maybe he was supposed to make them and suffer from them on this earth."
Money is the cause of Tommy Wilhelm's suffering, but those who have material success have their own failings and miseries in other dimensions. Who is without introspection, regret and suffering? In the end, even though we may despise him, most of us can join in Tommy's cry of existential despair.
I wasn't fond of this short novel at first, but in the last third or so it really began to sink in, and the ending was dynamite. Highly recommended.
Seize the Day by Saul Bellow
First published 1956
"A person can become tired of looking himself over and trying to fix himself up. You can spend the entire second half of your life recovering from the mistakes of the first half."
Tommy Wilhelm realizes he has a lot of mistakes to recover from. He is a college dropout who has lost his job, left his wife, and now has given a man he doesn't even like or trust the power of attorney to invest what little money he has left in the commodities market. His rent is due, and his father, a retired physician who lives in the same Manhattan hotel, has refused to help Tommy, saying he must suffer for his own mistakes.
Tommy is not a likable character. He is lazy, careless and slovenly. He jumps at get-rich-quick schemes but scorns honest work if he can live on the charity of others instead. He is increasingly dependent on liquor and drugs and quick to find others to blame for his failures. But his growing despair echoes that of others who are less culpable for their own failings. In one of his more thoughtful moments he ponders the idea that "the business of life, the real business--to carry his peculiar burden, to feel shame and impotence, to taste these quelled tears--the only important business, the highest business was being done. Maybe the making of mistakes expressed the very purpose of his life and the essence of his being here. Maybe he was supposed to make them and suffer from them on this earth."
Money is the cause of Tommy Wilhelm's suffering, but those who have material success have their own failings and miseries in other dimensions. Who is without introspection, regret and suffering? In the end, even though we may despise him, most of us can join in Tommy's cry of existential despair.
I wasn't fond of this short novel at first, but in the last third or so it really began to sink in, and the ending was dynamite. Highly recommended.
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