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abbbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Все оттенки ядовитой токсичности, от которых невозможно оторваться
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Нобелевские лауреаты фигни не пишут. «Герцог» Сола Беллоу удивляет, с каждой страницей поворачивается новыми гранями; книга всё время меняется, усложняется, оказывается совсем не такой, какой казалась раньше. То же происходит с сюжетом, героями, эмоциями читателя. Вы знаете, я не выношу скуку (ДФУ бы сказал, как это плохо), и когда всё «обычно». У Сола Беллоу всё максимально необычно и не скучно вот вообще. Правда, экзистенциально, местами вполне в духе Сартра, кому-то может показаться мрачно. Я люблю мрачность в правильной пропорции, как здесь.
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В центре — семейная трагедия, от главного героя, Мозеса Герцога (Герцог — всего лишь фамилия), уходит жена. Божественная, идеальная Маделин (во всяком случае, такой она кажется поначалу). Постепенно оказывается, что и главный герой не так прост и на грани сумасшествия, и Маделин — параноидальная психопатка; либо Мозес нам всю дорогу врёт. Хочется разобраться, а что же случилось на самом деле. Начинается адская головоломка с элементами психологического триллера; я это просто обожаю.
⠀
Одна из находок романа, понятная нам сейчас: в душевном раздрае Мозес начинает строчить письма, как одержимый, всем подряд. Часть «Герцога» — эти самые обрывочные, горячечные письма, из которых пытаешься сложить цельную картину. Один в один истеричные посты и сториз в соц. сетях в наши дни, которые главное потом быстро удалить, пока никто не заметил, какие мы на самом деле странненькие и иррациональные создания (спойлер: все и так это уже про нас знают).
⠀
И Мозес, и Маделин — оба из академической среды; Мозес преподаёт, пишет труды по романтизму, Маделин — по славистике. Между ними странная, нездоровая интеллектуальная конкуренция, зависть и коварство. Жуть как увлекательно за этим наблюдать! Всё время кажется, что вот-вот произойдёт какое-то смертоубийство.
⠀
Через какое-то время мне очень захотелось увидеть снятый по «Герцогу» Сола Беллоу фильм — история захватывающая, много драмы, динамики, психологизма, душевности и эмоций, и всё умно, тонко (в духе сериала «The Affair»). Но экранизации нет! Просто шок! Такой материал и до сих пор никто не додумался снять! Эх! Куда смотрите, люди. Это же вещь!
⠀
Почти 400 страниц мелким шрифтом, книга объемная, история и простая, и потрясающая одновременно. Читала долго. Медленно. Растягивала удовольствие. Сейчас приступаю ко второму роману, «Подарок Гумбольдта».
⠀
Нобелевские лауреаты фигни не пишут. «Герцог» Сола Беллоу удивляет, с каждой страницей поворачивается новыми гранями; книга всё время меняется, усложняется, оказывается совсем не такой, какой казалась раньше. То же происходит с сюжетом, героями, эмоциями читателя. Вы знаете, я не выношу скуку (ДФУ бы сказал, как это плохо), и когда всё «обычно». У Сола Беллоу всё максимально необычно и не скучно вот вообще. Правда, экзистенциально, местами вполне в духе Сартра, кому-то может показаться мрачно. Я люблю мрачность в правильной пропорции, как здесь.
⠀
В центре — семейная трагедия, от главного героя, Мозеса Герцога (Герцог — всего лишь фамилия), уходит жена. Божественная, идеальная Маделин (во всяком случае, такой она кажется поначалу). Постепенно оказывается, что и главный герой не так прост и на грани сумасшествия, и Маделин — параноидальная психопатка; либо Мозес нам всю дорогу врёт. Хочется разобраться, а что же случилось на самом деле. Начинается адская головоломка с элементами психологического триллера; я это просто обожаю.
⠀
Одна из находок романа, понятная нам сейчас: в душевном раздрае Мозес начинает строчить письма, как одержимый, всем подряд. Часть «Герцога» — эти самые обрывочные, горячечные письма, из которых пытаешься сложить цельную картину. Один в один истеричные посты и сториз в соц. сетях в наши дни, которые главное потом быстро удалить, пока никто не заметил, какие мы на самом деле странненькие и иррациональные создания (спойлер: все и так это уже про нас знают).
⠀
И Мозес, и Маделин — оба из академической среды; Мозес преподаёт, пишет труды по романтизму, Маделин — по славистике. Между ними странная, нездоровая интеллектуальная конкуренция, зависть и коварство. Жуть как увлекательно за этим наблюдать! Всё время кажется, что вот-вот произойдёт какое-то смертоубийство.
⠀
Через какое-то время мне очень захотелось увидеть снятый по «Герцогу» Сола Беллоу фильм — история захватывающая, много драмы, динамики, психологизма, душевности и эмоций, и всё умно, тонко (в духе сериала «The Affair»). Но экранизации нет! Просто шок! Такой материал и до сих пор никто не додумался снять! Эх! Куда смотрите, люди. Это же вещь!
⠀
Почти 400 страниц мелким шрифтом, книга объемная, история и простая, и потрясающая одновременно. Читала долго. Медленно. Растягивала удовольствие. Сейчас приступаю ко второму роману, «Подарок Гумбольдта».
tommyroyds's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
itsthunderkid's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
josh_caporale's review against another edition
4.0
Herzog is the third novel I read by Saul Bellow and while it is not the charm the way my reading of Demian by Hermann Hesse was, but it is definitely a novel that has given me a greater idea of human nature and how flawed humans have the capability of being. Written in 1964, Herzog has been deemed the breakthrough of Saul Bellow's writing career and is autobiographical in the way that, like Herzog, Bellow was from Canada, spent time in Chicago, and was dealing with his second divorce. Bellow would be married five times, divorcing all except for his last wife, and had four children in total. While we are not sure of Bellow's responses and motives, we do know that Herzog is the kind of character that some of us cannot help rooting for, even if he is known for making boneheaded decisions and comes off as feeling as if he is a know-it-all. Reading this will definitely be a strain on your sense of empathy, but it gives you a greater, more honest idea about the world and people around you.
Moses Elkanah Herzog is forty-seven years old and has recently divorced his second wife, Madeleine, who is manipulative and has done a good job getting her way (this is the second time in a Saul Bellow novel that a wife reminded me of Judith Harper from Two and a Half Men, the first being Tommy Wilheim's wife in Seize the Day). She converted him to Catholicism during a period where she was interested and encouraged him to move to Chicago while also helping their friends, Valentine and Phoebe Gersbach, move as well, while helping Valentine find work in the area. Moses and Madeleine have a daughter together in June, but Madeleine has an affair with Valentine and the relationship ends in a separation with a restraining order on Moses. Both Moses and Madeleine show elements of insanity from the evidence of psychiatric tests, showing that there is some unreliable information that is bound to be spread throughout the novel, but this can be said clearly about life in general. Moses is very intuitive in his actions and often escapes to writing letters to people that are on his mind, talking about everything from the ongoing issues at hand to discussions about interests that reflect Moses' very own studies.
While Moses has started going out with an Argentinean student of his named Ramona, what he really wants is to claim custody of his daughter, June. After an incident that he heard about pertaining to Madeleine and Valentine, he feels that it is in his greatest interest to claim custody. He also has a son, Marco, from his first marriage with Daisy, which did not end so well and which Moses was responsible for the separation. We see plenty of his flaws throughout the text and in a major moment where we just want to facepalm and say, "come on now!"
Herzog is the kind of book that makes me think and will cause me to keep thinking way beyond the text. This is certainly material that is meant to be studied in a psychological manner and a sense of concentration should be placed on the human's choice to escape into their thoughts and how they are almost always far more confident in their thoughts than they are when all is said and done. As I mentioned before, this is also meant to be viewed autobiographically in how many of the elements are reflective of Bellow's very own life and in some cases, the only difference is a name change.
Perhaps as I think about this novel a bit more, I may consider raising my star rating, but I am keeping it at four stars due to the occasional moments of aggravation that I got out of this novel and how I felt the letters were going to play an even bigger role within the text. It is still a good book that I would suggest that people look into and examine, though.
Moses Elkanah Herzog is forty-seven years old and has recently divorced his second wife, Madeleine, who is manipulative and has done a good job getting her way (this is the second time in a Saul Bellow novel that a wife reminded me of Judith Harper from Two and a Half Men, the first being Tommy Wilheim's wife in Seize the Day). She converted him to Catholicism during a period where she was interested and encouraged him to move to Chicago while also helping their friends, Valentine and Phoebe Gersbach, move as well, while helping Valentine find work in the area. Moses and Madeleine have a daughter together in June, but Madeleine has an affair with Valentine and the relationship ends in a separation with a restraining order on Moses. Both Moses and Madeleine show elements of insanity from the evidence of psychiatric tests, showing that there is some unreliable information that is bound to be spread throughout the novel, but this can be said clearly about life in general. Moses is very intuitive in his actions and often escapes to writing letters to people that are on his mind, talking about everything from the ongoing issues at hand to discussions about interests that reflect Moses' very own studies.
While Moses has started going out with an Argentinean student of his named Ramona, what he really wants is to claim custody of his daughter, June. After an incident that he heard about pertaining to Madeleine and Valentine, he feels that it is in his greatest interest to claim custody. He also has a son, Marco, from his first marriage with Daisy, which did not end so well and which Moses was responsible for the separation. We see plenty of his flaws throughout the text and in a major moment where we just want to facepalm and say, "come on now!"
Herzog is the kind of book that makes me think and will cause me to keep thinking way beyond the text. This is certainly material that is meant to be studied in a psychological manner and a sense of concentration should be placed on the human's choice to escape into their thoughts and how they are almost always far more confident in their thoughts than they are when all is said and done. As I mentioned before, this is also meant to be viewed autobiographically in how many of the elements are reflective of Bellow's very own life and in some cases, the only difference is a name change.
Perhaps as I think about this novel a bit more, I may consider raising my star rating, but I am keeping it at four stars due to the occasional moments of aggravation that I got out of this novel and how I felt the letters were going to play an even bigger role within the text. It is still a good book that I would suggest that people look into and examine, though.
lauli's review against another edition
3.0
This is my fourth attempt at Saul Bellow, and I thought this one would make the charm, finally allowing me to see clearly why he was given the Nobel and all that jazz. As matters stand, I remain underwhelmed. Is it well-written? Definitely. Is it entertaining? At times it is. At other times it's the just pointless whining of a well-off intellectual who can afford to ramble around the country on planes and rented cars playing off his anger, his frustration and his heartbreak until he feels them no longer. I fail to see how this could have been such a best-seller when it was first published. I'm still to be won over by Mr Bellow.
bucket's review against another edition
5.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this! Herzog (the character) is awful, lovable and fascinating all at once.
jonathantoews19's review against another edition
2.0
this was my second bellow following "humboldt's gift." i liked it, but couldn't relate to the titular character as well as in the former novel. maybe i'll be old/rich/jewish enough in the next life, but until then i suppose i was a little disappointed
amelew's review against another edition
4.0
Thought provoking, beautiful, and just in general - amazing writing. Prose and characters definitely win out over plot and story here.
maniereads's review
I can't tell if the ending was really that good, or if I was just relieved that the book was over ...
No but seriously, the book wasn't that bad. Definitely tedious in places, and the protagonist was a whiny asshole, but Bellow is one helluva writer.
No but seriously, the book wasn't that bad. Definitely tedious in places, and the protagonist was a whiny asshole, but Bellow is one helluva writer.
michellehogmire's review
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0