Saul Bellow's "Herzog"

The most celebrated work from the much acclaimed writer.

Released in September 1964, Saul Bellow’s “Herzog” would be much acclaimed by readers and critics, and was central to Saul Bellow winning the Noble Prize for literature in 1976. The Canadian-born American writer was awarded with the Pulitzer Prize, the Noble Prize for Literature and the National Medal of Arts at different stages of his life for his writing. He also won the American National Book Award for Fiction three times - more times than any other author.

The author, who was born in Quebec two years after his parents had emigrated from Saint Petersburg, was the youngest of four children. Their family was Lithuanian Jewish and Bellow’s father had been born in Vilnius, Lithuania. Saul grew up around the Humboldt Park neighbourhood on the West Side of Chicago. His mother died when he was 17, and had wanted Saul to embark a religious career, either becoming a rabbi or concert violinist. Saul later reflected his dislike of this religious orthodoxy, instead drastically preferring to write, which he did initially as a child. Nonetheless, he maintained a fondness of the Torah, which he had picked up at the age of 4. 

Attending university, Saul Bellow initially enrolled to the University of Chicago, but later transferred to Northwestern University. There, feeling that the English department was anti-Jewish, he studied anthropology and sociology rather than English, passing it with honours. During WWII, Bellow served as a merchant marine and completed his first novel “Dangling Man” (1944). Once the war came to a close, he taught English literature at the University of Minnesota. Thereupon began his career as an academic. After a lengthy stay at Minnesota, Bellow spent intervals at New York, before becoming a professor in Chicago in 1962. Living in Chicago, he would write in his bestselling novel, “Herzog” in 1964. 

Plot

The novel “Herzog” is a picaresque tale about the plight of an eccentric and unfortunate protagonist, a one Moses Herzog. The story involves Herzog and his second wife, Madeleine, who had recently left Herzog for Valentine Gesbarch, who Herzog considers a close friend. While still a married couple, Madeleine convinces Herzog to transport both of them, Junie their daughter and Valentine and his wife, to Chicago. However what unravels is that this was rather merely a ruse by Madeleine as once in Chicago Madeleine kicks Herzog out and attempts to have him admitted to an asylum. 

Nonetheless, with his current partner, a woman called Romana, the storyline continues. He travels to a court house in New York to try and regain custody of his first daughter, Junie. Thereupon he witnesses various distressing court cases. Herzog reads a letter informing him of an incident in which Gesbarch locked Junie in a car as he and Madeleine argued inside. Herzog subsequently travels to his stepmother’s house, retrieving a pistol in a plan to kill the both of them a regain custody of Junie. 

The lacklustre plan unravels itself when Herzog sees Valentine giving Junie a bath, at which point he realises she is not in danger. The next morning, taking his daughter to the Aquarium, Herzog is arrested and charged with possession of a loaded weapon when he crashes the car. Having been rescued by a friend and after a discussion about the admittance to the asylum, the novel ends with a meal between Ramona and Herzog in which Herzog conjectures that he doesn’t need to write any more letters.