A review by okt20
The Victim by Saul Bellow

2.0

I must say that I was not really a fan of this book. I found it to be very dry and while I appreciated and found interest in Bellow's exploration of the human condition, I suppose I couldn't get into the execution of it. Additionally, Leventhal is a much too paranoid and selfish character for my liking; the plot seemed to significantly depend on Leventhal's insecurities to drive the story forward.

I should mention that I also read Dostoevsky's "The Eternal Husband" and found it to be absolutely exceptional. Being that Bellow's "The Victim" was inspired by Dostoevsky's short story, I think that my reading Dostoevsky partially tainted my experience with reading Bellow. I just found it that much harder to appreciate "The Victim."