Fiction

The Victim

The Victim

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  • Create Date：2021-03-30 14:14:01
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Saul Bellow
  • ISBN：0141188839
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Summary

Leventhal is a natural victim; a man uncertain of himself， never free from the nagging suspicion that the other guy may be right。 So when he meets a down-at-heel stranger in the park one day and finds himself being accused of ruining the man's life， he half believes it。 He can't shake the man loose， can't stop himself becoming trapped in a mire of self doubt， can't help becoming 。。。 a victim。

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Reviews

Nicole ，

I adore Bellow I do， even so， some parts of this dragged for me。 But the way he paints characters， Asa， the main character in particular， is as spectacular as always。 You will endear him， begrudge him， and so much more as he figures these same things out about himself。 Worth the read。

David Mills ，

Favorite quote = “It was clear that the man was no fool。 But what was the use of not being a fool if you acted like this？”From my 1001 Books to Read Before You Die （Edited by Peter Boxhall） reading list。

Tova Trellevik ，

Saul Bellow， I think， is a master of the English language。 The plot of the book itself is nothing， but rather you are vividly transported into 1950’s Manhattan from the perspective of a Jewish man。 I like how this book makes you think about human nature， and although you never do find out who the “victim” is， you are left with a distinct impression of the feeling of this time。

Barbara Bengston ，

This is my first Saul Bellow novel and I was taken in with his beautiful and descriptive writing style。

Olivia Ting ，

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 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。" 。。。more

John Ward ，

Enjoyed Staten Island ferry part

Gaz ，

Excellent second novel， Bellow was tremendous。

Erica ，

What to say about this breathtaking novel？ It is psychologically probing and full of human frailty， beauty， and ugliness。 It’s about the tricks our mind can place on us。 It’s about the nuances of human relationships。 It’s about the cruelty of anti-Semitism。 The best book I’ve read in 2020。 Already ready to start another Bellow novel。

julián m。h ，

i almost gave up on this one。 the first half of the book， when leventhal starts to connect allbee's story with the rudiger thing and then all those names harvaky sr and harvaky jr and willinston， made me think that the whole plot about leventhal ruining allbee's life was not going to hold to its premise。 then， as bellow often does， you realize that maybe even if something is not really a big deal it kind of is。 i ended up enjoying leventhal's relationship with allbee more that i thought， and the i almost gave up on this one。 the first half of the book， when leventhal starts to connect allbee's story with the rudiger thing and then all those names harvaky sr and harvaky jr and willinston， made me think that the whole plot about leventhal ruining allbee's life was not going to hold to its premise。 then， as bellow often does， you realize that maybe even if something is not really a big deal it kind of is。 i ended up enjoying leventhal's relationship with allbee more that i thought， and the ending， which at first i was afraid it would end up being some sort of 'that's all folks！'， turned out to fit very well with the rest of the novel。 。。。more

Ted J。 Gibbs ，

Spectral， ambiguous， writing somewhere between a handful of different truths。 Saul Bellow is a man after my own heart。。。

Dave Gill ，

This is the book where I finally saw the author giving us a flavour of his view of humanity and it was very well done。 I do like the the plot and the way the main character twists himself in knits。

Rogue Male ，

8/10

Eric Jay Sonnenschein ，

I would like to read "The Adventures of Augie March"， Bellow's first major work， but "The Victim" came into my hands， so I read it。 I think it's instructive to read a major writer's early work， because it demonstrates the basic talent he had to work with， his basic approach to storytelling， and his natural deficits， which he improved upon to to achieve his later and more accomplished pieces。 In Bellow's case， his talent as a wordsmith， someone who knows how to write sentences to represent a char I would like to read "The Adventures of Augie March"， Bellow's first major work， but "The Victim" came into my hands， so I read it。 I think it's instructive to read a major writer's early work， because it demonstrates the basic talent he had to work with， his basic approach to storytelling， and his natural deficits， which he improved upon to to achieve his later and more accomplished pieces。 In Bellow's case， his talent as a wordsmith， someone who knows how to write sentences to represent a character's psyche， is on more than occasional display in "The Victim。" At times， the wording seems awkward and convoluted。 One is tempted to blame the inexperience of the writer， until one recognizes that he is using prose to capture the way his protagonist's less sophisticated， less erudite mind processes thoughts both simple and complex。At times， Bellow's attempt to create a scene out of words seems labored。 He apparently wants to leave a sensory impression in the reader's mind using only words。 It is a difficult and perhaps quixotic objective and his painstaking efforts can have prolix results。 At such moments， Bellow seems like a novice screenwriter who is intent on telling the cameraman how to frame each shot。 Yet at other times， Bellow uses language to do what only the greatest poets are capable of--to transform perceived moments into transcendent images by demonstrating with metaphor and symbol the invisible relationship of disparate objects。 Bellow describes New York harbor， the movement of the ferry， a summer park after dark， the light and breeze wafting through an apartment window， and steam hovering （like a "cloud"） over a stove with such virtuosity that one lingers over his depiction of these small details， in admiration at his fresh way of seeing familiar things， of turning the prosaic into poetry。One notes in "The Victim" Bellow's storytelling strategy， of focusing on a marginal individual， who finds himself in a vulnerable and precarious spiritual state， and pushing this character to the brink of a complete breakdown。 In "The Victim" the protagonist is Asa Leventhal， a burly sad sack of a man who has had to fight to claw his way into the middle class。 While his wife is away， Leventhal is approached by an anti-Semitic man whom he used to meet at parties。 This man， Albee， once set up an interview for Leventhal with his boss， a very abusive man Leventhal ended up getting into a fight with the abusive boss and Albee lost his job。 Now， years later Leventhal is well employed and married and Albee comes calling to either get even with the man he blames for his downfall， or to exact a favor。Meanwhile， Leventhal's wife is away， helping her widowed mother。 In the few weeks during which Albee appears in Leventhal's life， he goes through all of the agony of the Jewish victim until finally the situation is resolved。This story arc is familiar to anyone who has read a few of Bellow's works。 At times， the plot challenges the reader's credulity。 The situation seems completely contrived， as do the characters' actions and interactions。 At other times， Bellow's project to build a bigger story out of the mundane lives of ostensibly ordinary characters can be annoying and frustrating。 One is aware of being manipulated， that the plot is being extended through a series of improbabilities。 By "improbabilities" I don't mean mere coincidences， but character choices and behaviors that do not correspond with one's understanding of typical psychology and human motivation。 Bellow might have made his characters' thoughts and actions more believable if he had merely explained their thinking， rather than putting so much attention on a tic， physical movement or sensation， or on trying to capture their conflicting sensations at a given moment。 He is trying so hard to put us in the scene sensorially that he neglects to tell us why the characters are in that scene to start with。 Perhaps this was the fashion of the day for novelists， to make words do what cameras can do better， but in the final analysis， a writer is not a camera。 Nor should he be。 A writer interprets as much as he creates。 However， there is probably a practical reason that Bellow tells us less than we need to know about what makes his characters "tick。" Part of the impetus of the story lies in the mystery of these motivations。 Why does Albee appear in Leventhal's life？ And why doesn't Leventhal get rid of him from the outset？ The reason has less to do with the integrity of the characters and their story than it does with Bellow's narrative strategy。 He may have wished to create a mystery based on the characters' motivations and behavior and to sink this mystery deep into his reader's mind， so he would have to read to the end to solve it。 Unfortunately， the resolution in this particular novel， while not dismal， is not satisfying。 I may be tipping my aesthetic hand but I want a book， regardless of its genre， to tell me something about the world that I might not have previously known or to tell me what I already know in refreshing terms。 "The Victim" does neither。 Yet， as I wrote above， it is good to see that even the best writers， and Bellow deserves to be remembered as one of America's best， didn't start fully formed。 They grew and got better。 It is also good to see that even in those inchoate early works， while greatness was still knitting together and finding its way， a writer of Bellow's caliber had something to say and the talent to begin to say it。 。。。more

Rick ，

Saul Bellow is on of the great modern American writers， I have read many of his better known novels （Adventures of Augie March， Herzog， and Humboldt's Gift ） The Victim is an Bellow's second novel and while not on par with his best work it is a very solid story set in postwar New York City。 Bellow's description of New York City in summertime certainly evoke my own experiences in that hot grimy， vibrant City。 As i read this book during the pandemic i was saddened to think that the restless vitali Saul Bellow is on of the great modern American writers， I have read many of his better known novels （Adventures of Augie March， Herzog， and Humboldt's Gift ） The Victim is an Bellow's second novel and while not on par with his best work it is a very solid story set in postwar New York City。 Bellow's description of New York City in summertime certainly evoke my own experiences in that hot grimy， vibrant City。 As i read this book during the pandemic i was saddened to think that the restless vitality may never return to this great American City。 Asa Leventhal is tormented by a marginal acquaintance Kirby Albee who blames Leventhal unfairly for his descent into hard times。 Albee is an anti-Semite and Leventhal is wary of other non Jews。 The two men joust over who did what to who until after a jarring incident Allbee disappears。 The novel ends about a year later and Leventhal and surprisingly Albee have put more order into their lives 。。。more

Chris Zull ，

Subtle and brilliant， as Bellow always was。

Leslie ，

Written in the 1940s， so it seems a bit old-fashioned， but a fascinating study of how worries can affect us。

Rick Diguette ，

Bellow's Asa Leventhal appeals to me because， like him， "I was lucky。 I got away with it。" Meaning， the wrong turns I took in early adulthood didn't end up numbering me amongst "the lost， the outcast， the overcome， the effaced， the ruined。" I did plenty of things I now regret， and I would have a hard time defending myself against the likes of Kirby Allbee。 The Victim reinforces the idea that the truth can be a consolation。 Not a consolation prize， but a support and a comfort。 I made mistakes whi Bellow's Asa Leventhal appeals to me because， like him， "I was lucky。 I got away with it。" Meaning， the wrong turns I took in early adulthood didn't end up numbering me amongst "the lost， the outcast， the overcome， the effaced， the ruined。" I did plenty of things I now regret， and I would have a hard time defending myself against the likes of Kirby Allbee。 The Victim reinforces the idea that the truth can be a consolation。 Not a consolation prize， but a support and a comfort。 I made mistakes which I can't undo， but I recognize them as part of who I am。 As for Kirby Allbee， he is a catalyst and in that guise he doesn't have to be commendable。 Some of the lessons we learn in life are going to be taught to us by flawed human beings， perhaps can only be taught by such beings。 。。。more

Mary Sue ，

NYU， American Fiction class。

Illiterate ，

A study in the effects of prejudice on the psychology of the victim。 Anti-Semitism/persecution fosters self-doubt/paranoia。

Jakubek ，

To get my feelings out of the way， the prose did little to nothing for me。 It wasn’t bad， it was straightforward in a dull way。 There was no flair sentence to sentence， and since the plot of the novel doesn’t evolve a notable amount from the first few encounters with Allbee， I wanted something to reduce the deja vu with each successive encounter。 When the two confronted one another， the dynamic and the issues they discussed barely developed。t“What do you think you’re doing，” Leventhal asked， his To get my feelings out of the way， the prose did little to nothing for me。 It wasn’t bad， it was straightforward in a dull way。 There was no flair sentence to sentence， and since the plot of the novel doesn’t evolve a notable amount from the first few encounters with Allbee， I wanted something to reduce the deja vu with each successive encounter。 When the two confronted one another， the dynamic and the issues they discussed barely developed。t“What do you think you’re doing，” Leventhal asked， his temper elevating。t“I bet you want to hit me，” Allbee retorted， smirking out of the corner of his mouth。 “You owe me something。”tNow reword this exchange several times and you’ve accounted for probably 85% of the exchanges between them。 Leventhal begins to lose composure， and Allbee prevaricates more。 Not to mention all the times Allbee lets his antisemitism slip and Leventhal threatens to hit him （and doesn’t）， or all the times Leventhal mentions Flora and Allbee sheds the smug facade and screams at him。 The two are just incredibly boring after 150 pages。 There’s no protagonist to get behind。 Maybe that’s a tried idea， that there needs to be a protagonist one can minimally sympathize with， but I like to think it isn’t。tAdditionally， the brief descriptions of New York seemed like fan service for locals。 Bellow will describe a pier or a boat and the water around it， and it has no ostensible connection with anything going on。 I worry that I found it so boring that I missed some subtext， but if I did then I think there was tremendous emphasis on the sub- and not the -text。tAccording to the review from the Herald Tribune on the back of my copy， “The Victim rates as a subtle and thoughtful contribution to the literature of twentieth-century anti-semitism。” The antisemitism Bellow explores in the book is more complex than I was prepared for， mostly because Leventhal is not a magnanimous man subjected to cruel bigotry; instead， Leventhal is an occasionally selfish， confused man who appears to lose all bearings in the absence of his wife。 It is an odd undergirding for the story， especially because there’s no explicit reason that Leventhal should become so tense and unwieldy simply because his wife leaves for a few weeks。 On the same note， the scattered references to Leventhal’s mother feel extempore or hollow。 We know she went insane and died， and Leventhal is as touchy about her as Allbee is about Flora， but why？ The obvious answers: “it’s his mom， idiot，” and “it’s his dead wife， idiot。” However， these brief moments where one or the other says， “Hey！ What’d I say about talking about her，” end right there。 If I were to guess， their significance is colored by the grand theme of victimization。 The ambiguous title could easily apply to Leventhal， a Jewish man becomes victim to an antisemitic goy; but， it could easily apply to almost any of the recurring characters （within reason）。tThe victims in this novel appear separated by varying degrees of personal responsibility。 Leventhal is a victim to Allbee’s antisemitism， and his victimhood manifests itself in paranoia and manic self-reflection。 The question of whether he was indeed responsible for Allbee being fired is ambiguous from beginning to end， and it’s the question that plagues Leventhal’s solitary life until his wife returns。 Defending the antisemite is a bold course of action in most cases， but the antisemite Bellow created in Allbee is a mild one。 He makes off-color jokes， generalizations and remarks about Jews， but he doesn’t demand genocide or defend the Holocaust。 Allbee appears as much a victim as Leventhal: he lost his job， his marriage， and then his wife。 Again， however， Allbee’s victimhood is a consequence of personal responsibility。 We get a lot of vague excuses and woeful justifications for why he didn’t just try for another job， or why he didn’t use his wife’s insurance money to reassemble his life， and ultimately they come across as bogus as Leventhal believes them to be。 The struggle between them is more broadly a question of how responsible an individual is for the cards they’re dealt。 Allbee theorizes:‘I didn’t choose to be fired by Rudiger， do you like that better？ Anyway， you’re in an independent position and I’m not。’ […] ’Now I believe that luck…there really is such a thing as luck and those who do and don’t have it。 In the long run， I don’t know who’s better off。 It must make things very unreal to have luck all the time。 But it’s a blessing， in some things， and especially if it gives you the chance to make a choice。 That doesn’t come very often， does it？ For most people？ No， it doesn’t。 It’s hard to accept that， but we have to accept it。 We don’t choose much。 We don’t choose to be born， for example， and unless we commit suicide we don’t choose the time to die， either。 But having a few choices in between makes you seem less of an accident to yourself。 It makes you feel your life is necessary…For everybody who repeats “For man” it means “For me” （172-3）There is a sense of fatalism in Allbee’s beliefs: the crowded world has no place for Allbee， so he’s doomed to be an outlier while people like Leventhal thrive。 It’s a justification for the underprivileged or the down-and-out， and allows them to claim to be victims of circumstance rather than individuals with the ability to ameliorate their lives through responsible choices。 tWhen I consider Allbee’s situation， Leventhal’s victimhood appears less selfish。 Allbee believes that Jews have it naturally good， and his scapegoating Leventhal can begin to wear on the reader to the point they almost believe him， yet the evidence of any of it is nebulous at best。 Leventhal’s alleged fault is standing up for himself against Rudiger during his own interview。 Upon recollection， Allbee never even comes to Leventhal’s mind during any of his actions in the interview。 Yet， Allbee’s persistent appearances and captious accusations begin to insinuate a sense of guilt in Leventhal’s psyche。 Leventhal goes from staunchly disbelieving Allbee to begrudgingly allowing him stay at his apartment。 There’s a steadfast resistance to Allbee’s accusations， yet it can’t overpower the paranoid possibility that he is somehow responsible for this man being unemployed and homeless。 The ramifications of Leventhal’s personal choices can hardly be identified as the origin for Allbee’s shortcomings， and the novel therefore depicts the relationship between the soi-disant victim and the target of their enmity。 The embittered bigot points his finger， and jettisons personal responsibility to streamline his victimhood。 。。。more

Terry ，

not sure what I think---interesting， a bit haunting

ΠανωςΚ ，

Βαρέθηκα τρελά， μπα， όχι τρελά， ακόμη κι η βαρεμάρα που μου προκάλεσε， βαρετή ήταν。

Jason M。 ，

3。5It's probably not right for people looking for a thrilling "page-turner，" and yet I found myself turning the pages quite well。 The fresh details and turns of phrase in the moment-to-moment sensory writing are wonderful。 I definitely plan to read more Bellow。 3。5It's probably not right for people looking for a thrilling "page-turner，" and yet I found myself turning the pages quite well。 The fresh details and turns of phrase in the moment-to-moment sensory writing are wonderful。 I definitely plan to read more Bellow。 。。。more

Robert Reinhard ，

Saul Bellow's second novel and before the works for which he is most famous。 It's an unsettling tale only seemingly realistic but metaphysically fabulous from scene to scene （maybe like Conrad or Kafka）。 The mental state of the main consciousness， Leventhal， notches small increments of guilt， sadness， paranoia， longing， irritation， isolation， disconnection， bewilderment。 The confusions， fumblings and daily social insults and prejudices （Antisemitism is only one of the tropes） assaulting everyone Saul Bellow's second novel and before the works for which he is most famous。 It's an unsettling tale only seemingly realistic but metaphysically fabulous from scene to scene （maybe like Conrad or Kafka）。 The mental state of the main consciousness， Leventhal， notches small increments of guilt， sadness， paranoia， longing， irritation， isolation， disconnection， bewilderment。 The confusions， fumblings and daily social insults and prejudices （Antisemitism is only one of the tropes） assaulting everyone ring true today not just in the person of the nemesis， Allbee， but from all of the other personages。 The sentences and images and tone are all masterful。 Each almost equally long chapter seems to have a consistent structure throughout from one to the other。 Leventhal did or did not- the reader is never certain - derail Allbee's life many years prior and now that uncertain past （ or an unstable personality ） comes back to victimize。 。。。more

Ivana Books Are Magic ，

The Victim was an interesting read， to say the least。 Before I continue with this review， I have a confession to make。 I read this book ages ago！ I do remember how much I liked it。 I enjoyed it so much that I was determined to read more Saul Bellow but somehow I didn't get around to， and now I feel bad about it。 If he is so good， why I didn't find time for more Saul Bellow？ Well， there are many great authors and books out there。 Sometimes that old proverb ' you can't get them all' applies。 It is The Victim was an interesting read， to say the least。 Before I continue with this review， I have a confession to make。 I read this book ages ago！ I do remember how much I liked it。 I enjoyed it so much that I was determined to read more Saul Bellow but somehow I didn't get around to， and now I feel bad about it。 If he is so good， why I didn't find time for more Saul Bellow？ Well， there are many great authors and books out there。 Sometimes that old proverb ' you can't get them all' applies。 It is a shame that the only thing I read by this great author is this little novel， but hey better something that nothing， right？The Victim was published in 1947。 I don't remember thinking much about the date of publication while I was reading this novel。 The writing somehow feels very modern， not dated or old fashion in any way。 The novel opens with a protagonist Leventhal。 His wife had to go away to help her mother， so he temporary lives alone。 Leventhal is a middle aged Jewish man who works as a copy writer。 At work he receives a call for help from his sister in law。 It seems his nephew is sick。 Leventhal examines his relationship with his extended family， wondering has he failed at his duty。 During a walk in the park， a man （revealing himself to be an old acquaintance approaches） Leventhal。 At first， Albee seems benevolent enough， and Leventhal pities him as he seems a but run down。 Soon， however， it turns out that Albee blames Leventhal for all the misfortunes in his life， starting from Albee having lost his job to the present day。 A feeling of isolation soaks this novel。 Our protagonists asks many questions。 He becomes convienced that his brother Maxi has neglected his family。 At the same time， a cat and mouse play with Albee continues。 What could Alble possibly want？ The protagonists asks many questions。 As I read I had a whole set of questions as well。 Who is the victim？ What is the crime？ What is Levathien victim of？ What are all we victims of？ Even after reading this novel I'm not sure I have any answers。 Perhaps we are all victims of life。 Perhaps this is what novel is trying to tell us。 That we can be victims of one another， but in the end we're all victims at the injustice that is this world。 I can't be sure what exactly the writer was going for， but I liked the way he went about it。 What I'm sure of is that The Victim is a wonderful novel。 Levanthian was easy to sympathize with because he is so human， just a guy trying to do the right thing。 The kind of person that will take the time to think things over and yet you're not certain what that exactly means。 Is he who he seems that he is？ Yes， I loved the complexity of the protagonist。 His existential questioning appealed to me。 Moreover， I quite enjoyed the ambiguity of it all。 This is a novel that has left me wondering。 Life is complex and so is this novel。 Similar to real life， it's hard to figure out who is guilty and of what。 In that sense the novel felt quite ambiguous。 It was also wonderfully philosophical at times。 Perhaps for the first fifty pages or so， things seemed much too simple to me and the characters stereotyped。 However， that changed。 I can say that the rest of the book was excellent- the slow start was， or so it seems， the perfect introduction。 Indeed， perhaps those first fifty pages or so are an introduction of some kind。。。and there's a reason why the introduction is slow （ or maybe not exactly slow， it is more that there is no foreshadowing to start with。 What could be a good word for it？Maybe it is best to say that the beginning of the story is "not revealing" at all。 Ultimately， this proved to be a good thing， because this novel really grabs your attention once the things start to get going。 By the end of the story， I found myself immersed in the story。 At start the characterization seemed stereotypical。 Nevertheless， by the end of the novel there wasn't a character that did not feel real。 The protagonist is the most complex character， but they all have a life of their own。 Literally， it is like the characters gained life with every page。 Another thing that I really liked was the descriptiveness of the writing。 Bellow writes with ease。 The descriptiveness suited this story perfectly。 The contrast between the ambiguity of meaning and the descriptiveness of the prose was starling。 To conclude， The Victim is a wonderful novel。 I'm aware that Bellow， this highly praised and awarded writer， has written many others more famous （and possibly better） works， but if you happen upon this one， don't miss it。 As for myself， I really need to get to reading his other works。 。。。more

Adrianne Mathiowetz ，

Antisemitism as cause for claustrophobia: everywhere is always crowded， hot， neckties are too tight， and always this obsession with blame and forgiveness， other people's assumed bad opinions and outright hatred。 By the end of the book it's difficult to trust the narrator at all; you begin to see his mind has been so thoroughly manipulated， not just by one perpetrator but by a society gaslighting his experiences his whole life， that he may have snapped。 Does he even have this wife who is constant Antisemitism as cause for claustrophobia: everywhere is always crowded， hot， neckties are too tight， and always this obsession with blame and forgiveness， other people's assumed bad opinions and outright hatred。 By the end of the book it's difficult to trust the narrator at all; you begin to see his mind has been so thoroughly manipulated， not just by one perpetrator but by a society gaslighting his experiences his whole life， that he may have snapped。 Does he even have this wife who is constantly out of town？ Is that really his brother， his former boss？ I wish this had been assigned reading in high school。 。。。more

robin friedman ，

Guilt And Alienation In Post-War New York CityIn a Guggenheim Fellowship application in 1945， Saul Bellow described his then work-in-progress， "The Victim" as "a novel whose theme was guilt。" He worked assiduously on this novel between 1945 - 1947 when it was published to poor sales。 In 1952， a stage version of the book ran briefly off-Broadway。"The Victim" explores modernist themes of guilt， loneliness， purposelessness and paranoia in the lives of its main character and his strange double。 The Guilt And Alienation In Post-War New York CityIn a Guggenheim Fellowship application in 1945， Saul Bellow described his then work-in-progress， "The Victim" as "a novel whose theme was guilt。" He worked assiduously on this novel between 1945 - 1947 when it was published to poor sales。 In 1952， a stage version of the book ran briefly off-Broadway。"The Victim" explores modernist themes of guilt， loneliness， purposelessness and paranoia in the lives of its main character and his strange double。 The book is set in a sweltering New York City summer following WW II。 The primary character， Asa Leventhal， works as an editor for a trade paper where he has an uncomfortable relationship with his boss。 He is a non-practicing Jew highly conscious of anti-Semitism。 Leventhal has had a difficult life with a mother who went mad during his childhood and a distant father。 He has an older brother， Max， from whom he has long been estranged。 Leventhal left a civil service job in Baltimore after an engagement apparently ended， and he endured months of poverty in New York City before finding a position。 When the book opens， Leventhal is alone in the hot New York summer。 The broken engagement ultimately was restored， and Leventhal's wife Mary is away for several weeks visiting her sick mother。Leventhal endures a difficult summer。 He is approached， and virtually stalked， by a man named Kirby Allbee whom he had known briefly years earlier。 At a party both men attended， Allbee had made anti-Semitic comments to Leventhal。 But Allbee used his influence to get Leventhal a job interview with Allbee's then-boss。 The interview proved disastrous as Leventhal lost his temper。 Allbee， who was a marginal worker at best with a drinking problem， was then fired。 Allbee's drinking problem grew worse， his wife left him and soon died， and Allbee became penniless and unemployed - the fate that Leventhal himself had narrowly escaped。 Allbee blames Leventhal for his troubles - with the implication that Leventhal deliberately insulted Allbee's boss during the interview to retaliate against Allbee for his anti-Semitism - and seeks his help。 Allbee becomes ever more persistent， stalking Leventhal in his daily routines， following him to his flat， moving in， rummaging through Leventhal's drawers and effects， carrying on a brief affair in Leventhal's bed， and ultimately trying to kill himself in Leventhal's kitchen。Leventhal has other problems of guilt as well。 His brother Max has married an Italian Catholic woman， Elena， who lives in Staten Island with two children and an aging mother。 Max himself is in Texas looking for work。 When Elena's younger child becomes gravely ill， she calls Leventhal。 Leventhal tries to reach Max who is unable to return before the child dies。 Leventhal fears that his brother's wife and her mother somehow hold him responsible。 With prejudices of his own， Leventhal is troubled that his brother has married a non-Jew and finds Elena and her mother superstitious and primitive。 During the course of the book， Leventhal and his brother take modest steps to improve their estranged relationship。Both Leventhal and Allbee are lonely outsiders and one-time members of the class whom Bellow describes as "the lost， the overcome， the effaced， the ruined。" The book seems to me heavily influenced by Dostoevsky and by existentialism。 Allbee reminded me of Melville's character Bartelby in the famous short story。 The novel explores the nature of personal responsibility。 It is a study of pervasive， if somewhat repressed anti-Semitism not only in Allbee but in the business world of New York City as well。 But Bellow also shows Leventhal's own prejudices， his willingness to think the worst of Allbee and his distrust of his brother's Italian family。 The book suggests that guilt， loneliness and redemption can be overcome by friendship。 love and purpose。This book is tightly written and constructed， unlike its successor， the long， diffuse and exuberant "The Adventures of Augie March。" As with much of Bellow， the story is framed with many philosophical reflections and discussions， between Leventhal and Allbee， and between Leventhal and his friends。 The lonely life on city streets， park benches， cheerless flats， and cheap restaurants plays a dominant role in this early novel is it does in Bellow's later works。 But the writing in "The Victim" seems to me formulaic。 The scenes which Bellow would later fully bring to life here sometimes tend to fall flat。 The book is serious and thoughtful， but it does not move well。Late in life， Bellow distanced himself from this book and from its predecessor， "Dangling Man"， by calling the former novel his M。A。 and "The Victim" his PhD。 This is an accurate if overly-harsh assessment。 This book will have its greatest appeal to readers who are seriously interested in Bellow and his themes。Robin Friedman 。。。more

BlackOxford ，

The Ecology of OppressionHow many ways are there to be a schmuck？ Bellow probably includes most of them in The Victim。 Over-reaction， under-reaction， mis-directed reaction， delayed reaction - Asa Leventhal has them all。 He can’t be called hapless because he is aware that action is necessary; but he never seems to pick the right alternative。 Leventhal is sure of himself when he should be cautious; impetuous when he should be fearful; fearful when he could act boldly in his own interests。 Marriage The Ecology of OppressionHow many ways are there to be a schmuck？ Bellow probably includes most of them in The Victim。 Over-reaction， under-reaction， mis-directed reaction， delayed reaction - Asa Leventhal has them all。 He can’t be called hapless because he is aware that action is necessary; but he never seems to pick the right alternative。 Leventhal is sure of himself when he should be cautious; impetuous when he should be fearful; fearful when he could act boldly in his own interests。 Marriage， work， relationships are mysterious traps for Leventhal。 So no matter how he acts， he has regrets。 His self-doubt is monumental。 He seems unable to learn from experience， and so repeats the same errors over and over。 To make matters worse， Leventhal is acutely sensitive to his immediate environment。 He is sympathetic; he worries about others and how they feel; he takes their part even when it is to his disadvantage。 So he is constantly confronted with the need for decision about how to adapt himself to circumstances。 This sensitive introversion can verge on saintliness。。。 or mental illness。At times the internal and external dialogue approach the frustrating interchange of characters out of a Samuel Beckett play - senseless mutual incomprehension which the reader must endure along with the characters。 Scruples， second thoughts， hesitations， reversals， things unsaid abound。But， unlike Beckett， Bellow interjects wonderful lyricism into almost every scene。 His descriptions of what Leventhal perceives can be exquisite: “The paper frills along the shelves of the cupboard crackled in the current of the fan。 It ran on the cabinet， sooty， with insectlike swiftness and a thrumming of its soft rubber blades; it suggested a fly hovering below the tarnish and heat of the ceiling and beside the scaling， many-jointed， curved pipes on which Elena hung rags to dry。”The contrast， therefore， between Leventhal’s observational delicacy and his operational effectiveness in life， as it were， is stark。 “People met you once or twice and they hated you。 What was the reason; what inspired it？” This is Bellovian irony。 He knows well what inspires it: anti-Semitism。 Leventhal meets the beast of anti-Semitism in the office， with his in-laws， in his remembered past。 But he minimizes it; he lets it slide in order to maintain civilized relationships。 He feels compelled to be a mensch even in the midst of simmering hostility。 One must never be disagreeable if one is to survive。The reason for Leventhal’s timidity is a very specific fear， a fear shared by other Jews in the story， the fear of creating a bad reputation among the goyim。 Getting a name for being uncivil， for calling out those whose anti-Semitism is expressed so casually， would be counterproductive。 It would simply confirm existing prejudices。 It would also jeopardize the possibility of influence， both professional and personal。 So it is necessary to tolerate the verbal barbs and nasty asides lest something more dire ensue。 Says the wife of one of Leventhal’s acquaintances， “People are bound not to take things too much to heart， for their own protection。 You've got to use influence on them。” And you can’t do that if you complain about irrational abuse。So Bellow’s subtle issues throughout are about the morality of victimhood。 Is it possible to escape from the overwhelming power of convention and prejudice？ Are the oppressed complicit in their own oppression？ How open can a person be in confronting the powers that dominate his life？ These are issues of culture， and therefore literature， not for the popular press or the law courts。 Which is why Bellow writes about them。 。。。more

Cláudia Azevedo ，

Mudei de 3 para 4 estrelas。 O Leventhal continua a caminhar comigo。 Isso deve querer dizer que me tinha enganado。 É melhor - ou pior， pois as pessoas más também nos marcam - do que julguei no final da leitura。 Isto das estrelas é um bocadinho injusto， não é？

James Wall ，

I was very intrigued by the premise of this novel， where the protaganist， Leventhal， sees a man he knew vaguely in the past。 This man claims that Leventhal ruined his life。 However，this threat never really materialises。 Although the writing is excellent， and the descriptions of the heat stifling the city are so evocative （a foreshadowing of events to come， I'd hoped） I felt that the book didn't reach its potential I was very intrigued by the premise of this novel， where the protaganist， Leventhal， sees a man he knew vaguely in the past。 This man claims that Leventhal ruined his life。 However，this threat never really materialises。 Although the writing is excellent， and the descriptions of the heat stifling the city are so evocative （a foreshadowing of events to come， I'd hoped） I felt that the book didn't reach its potential 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Victim

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Victim&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Victim&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0