Reviews

The Victim by Saul Bellow

roguemale's review

4.0

8/10

lesserjoke's review

3.0

When an antisemitic acquaintance accuses Asa Leventhal of ruining his life, the New York City Jew brushes off the accusation to focus on a recent family tragedy. But the gentiles in his life are quick to take his accuser's side, to the point where Leventhal begins to feel guilty and finds himself bending over backwards to help out a nemesis who continues to belittle him. It's a powerful look at gaslighting and the pervasive effects of antisemitism, no less relevant today than in the post-World War II era when the novel was first published.

athenalindia's review

3.0

I had never read any Saul Bellow books before, but I picked this one up from a large 1001 Books To Read Before You Die list, which is one of the many sources from which I pick books. They tend to be quite different from my usual science fiction fare, and that's partly why I like them. It's good not to get too settled into one genre.

Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.

In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook