Mosby's Memoirs and Other Stories
by Saul Bellow
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"What Henry James did for the geographically disoriented, Bellow does for the culturally traumatized in the six stories gathered in this collection. Truly, Bellow is one of God's spies." -Los Angeles Times A Penguin Classic In six darkly comic tales, Saul Bellow presents the human experience in all its preposterousness, poignancy, and pathos. In the title story, a professor well-known for his wit struggles to animate his memoirs as he teeters on the brink of despair; in "the old System," a show more distinguished biochemist tries to find room in his life for love; and in "A Father to Be," a man is startled to find himself seated next to his future adult son on a New York subway. The other stories, too, reflect Bellow's special ability to depict men and women confronting, in highly idiosyncratic ways, the enigmas and oddities of existence. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. show lessTags
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I think his short stories are better than his major. Highly recommended.
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142+ Works 33,764 Members
Saul Bellow was born in Lachine, Quebec, Canada on June 10, 1915. He attended the University of Chicago, received a Bachelor's degree in sociology and anthropology from Northwestern University in 1937, and did graduate work at the University of Wisconsin. He taught at several universities including the University of Minnesota, Princeton show more University, the University of Chicago, New York University, and Boston University. His first novel, Dangling Man, was published in 1944. His other works include The Victim, Seize the Day, Henderson the Rain King, Mosby's Memoirs and Other Stories, To Jerusalem and Back: A Personal Account, Him with His Foot in His Mouth and Other Stories, More Die of Heartbreak, and Something to Remember Me By. He received numerous awards including the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for Humboldt's Gift, the 1976 Nobel Prize in Literature, and three National Book Awards for fiction for The Adventures of Augie March in 1954, Herzog in 1964, and Mr. Sammler's Planet in 1970. Also a playwright, he wrote The Last Analysis and three short plays, collectively entitled Under the Weather, which were produced on Broadway in 1966. He died on April 5, 2005. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Mosby's herinneringen en andere verhalen
- Original title
- Mosby's memoirs, and other stories
- Original publication date
- 1968
- People/Characters*
- Mosby; George Greble; Clarence Feiler
- First words*
- De buren - er woonden in het geheel zes blanken aan Sego Desert Lake - zeiden tegen elkaar dat de oude Hattie het niet langer in haar eentje kon bolwerken.
- Quotations*
- Quella fu una giornata in cui il dottor Braun fece un gran pensare. Inverno. Sabato. La breve fine di dicembre. Solo nel suo appartamento, s'era svegliato tardi, era rimasto disteso nel letto fino a mezzogiorno, a rimuginare ... (show all)un pensiero - una sensazione: Ora la si vede, ora no. Ora una soddisfazione, ora una lacuna. Ora un individuo importante, una forza, un'esistenza necessaria; tutt'a un tratto nulla. Una cornice senza dipinto, uno specchio senza vetro. La sensazione dell'esistenza necessaria può essere la vitalità aggressiva, istintiva che abbiamo in comune con un cane o una scimmia. La differenza sta nel potere della mente o dello spirito a dichiarare Io sono. Più l'inevitabile inferenza Io non sono. Il dottor Braun non era più soddisfatto di essere più che di non essere. Gli pareva si avvicinasse un'epoca di equilibrio. Che bello! Comunque, non aveva un progetto adatto a mettere il mondo in un ordine razionale, e senza un motivo particolare si alzò.
Il giorno del perdono
Oh, questi Ebrei - questi Ebrei! I loro sentimenti, i loro cuori! Il dottor Braun desiderava spesso più di ogni altra cosa che tutto questo cessasse. Ma sì, che cosa ne veniva? Uno dopo l'altro, si cedeva la propria morte. ... (show all)Uno per uno se ne andavano. Ce ne andiamo. Infanzia, famiglia, amicizia, amore sono soffocati nella tomba. E quelle lacrime! Quando si piangevano dal cuore, si sentiva di giustificare qualcosa, si capiva qualcosa. Ma che cosa si capiva? Di nuovo, niente! Era solo un'intimazione capire. Una promessa che l'umanità potrebbe - potrebbe, badate - eventualmente, attraverso il suo dono che potrebbe - potrebbe di nuovo! - essere un dono divino, intendere perché vive. Perché vita, perché morte.
Il giorno del perdono - Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)'Ik moet naar buiten,' zei hij tegen de gids. 'Dames, ik kan hier nauwelijks lucht krijgen.'
- Original language*
- Inglés
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- ISBNs
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