Literary Fiction · ThoughtfulMoses Herzog, a professor in a midlife crisis after a divorce, writes letters in his head that he never sends
Herzog
by Saul Bellow
A 47-year-old professor burned out after a divorce writes letters in his mind that he never sends
Moses E. Herzog is a 47-year-old professor of cultural history in a midlife crisis after a divorce. In the opening he is at home in Ludeyville, a fictional town in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, thinking about returning to New York to see his girlfriend Ramona. He hesitates over the commitment and flees to Martha's Vineyard instead. Much of the novel consists of letters Herzog composes in his head but never sends.
More about this book
Who
Moses E. Herzog, a 47-year-old professor of cultural history, and Ramona, his girlfriend.
World
Ludeyville, a fictional town in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, with stops in New York and Martha's Vineyard.
What makes it different
Much of it is made of unsent letters. The narration alternates between first and third person.
Feel
Intense and inward. It won the 1965 National Book Award for Fiction.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Further reading
- HerzogWikipedia