Dangling Man

By: Saul Bellow

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

An essential masterwork by Nobel laureate Saul Bellow

Expecting to be inducted into the army during World War II, Joseph has given up his job and carefully prepared for his departure to the battlefront. When a series of mix-ups delays his induction, he finds himself facing a year of idleness. Written in diary format, Bellow’s first novel documents Joseph’s psychological reaction to his inactivity while war rages around him and his uneasy insights into the nature of freedom and choice.

Saul Bellow (1915–2005), author of numerous novels, novellas, and stories, was the only novelist to receive three National Book Awards. He also received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the Nobel Prize in Literature, and the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. During the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict, he served as a war correspondent for Newsday. He taught at New York University, Princeton, and the University of Minnesota and served as chairman of the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago.

©1944 1971 by Saul Bellow (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“In this imaginative journal, set against fresh and vivid scenes in Chicago, the author has outlined what must seem to many others an uncannily accurate delineation of themselves.” ( New York Times)

Almost

What a wonderful, peculiar, almost very painful book. I really enjoyed many of Bellow's passages, marveled at his command. The main character, probably on the edge of falling into deep depression in the 1940s, with no path to a good life, struggles in seeming hopeless anger. I wouldn't have minded if Bellow took the character into depression to see how it would take a toll on someone, knock on wood. Dangling Man will definitely not be a great read/listen for everyone but it was definitely worth my time.

Stay with life to it’s disturbing conclusion...

The story as in life creeps up on you to it’s disturbing conclusion... what is this existence and what is all of this discard we call life

thoughtful

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The novella was Bellow's first and many of the themes he will develop more fully later are already adumbrated here.

What other book might you compare Dangling Man to and why?

Sartre's la Nausee each book looks for life's meaning and sees aimless freedom as inherently meaningless.

Not my favorite Bellows

I generally like Bellows, but I found this book less interesting. The book examines freedom and choice, and has the very subtle Bellows humor, but it lacked something for me. It took me a while to figure out why I did not care for this novel. It was because the protagonist did not love himself. Most Bellows protagonists, despite their failings and limitations, love themselves and that (for me) allows the subtle poking fun at the character to be funny (and not just sad). Here I did not enjoy the character's mistakes and limitations as illuminating and funny, but just sad.

If you love Bellows, you should read this short novel to see the distinction. Otherwise I would not highly recommend this to general readers.

I did not love the narration although it was clear and easy to listen to.

A few gems buried in 6.5 hours of frustrated droll

The character writing this journal is so I’ll-tempered and frustrated that he makes himself seem simple at time. It was delightful to be surprised with the few rare moments of tantalizing philosophical wisdom. The remainder of the story however was far from engaging. I felt very much just along for the ride. I felt fairly satisfied with the conclusion though.