The Actual is a 1997 novella by the American author Saul Bellow.
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Saul Bellow |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Viking/Penguin Books |
Publication date | 1997 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 104 |
| ISBN | 0-670-86075-1 |
| OCLC | 36017249 |
| 813/.52 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3503.E4488 A63 1997 |
Plot synopsis edit
Like most of Bellow's fiction, the story centers on the lives of a group of passionate and anxious people living in Chicago. Harry Trellman has formed a friendship with the fabulously wealthy Sigmund Adletsky. Sigmund aims to bring Harry together with Harry's childhood sweetheart, Amy Wustrin.
Reception edit
Publishers Weekly called it "(a) kind of an affectionate, latter-day 'Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock", in which "plot (is) secondary".[1] Kirkus Reviews considered it to be "witty" and "sharp", with "vividly sketched characters" but "perfunctory" plotting.[2] In the Guardian, Martin Amis called it "scrupulously written".[3]
References edit
- ^ The Actual, reviewed at Publishers Weekly; published April 28 1997; retrieved December 9, 2018
- ^ The Actual, reviewed at Kirkus Reviews; published March 1, 1997; archived online May 20, 1997; retrieved December 9, 2018
- ^ "Don't call him mellow Bellow". the Guardian. 1997-08-17. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
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