The Adventures of Augie March: Ch 1 - 6

[jennie fitz]

Hello Fellow Autodidactics!

I am reading the Penguin Classics edition, printed in 1996; 536
pages. I don't think it has sections or parts, so I'm planning to
post every 100 pages or so.

This seems to be the most academic book of the list so far. Augie is a
well-educated narrator, and I had to look up these notable figures on
Wikipedia: Heraclitus (ancient Greek philosopher famous for his
doctrine of change being central to the universe); Cato (widely
respected ancient Roman statesman and soldier); Georges Danton (French
Revolutionary described as the chief force in the overthrow of the
monarchy and establishment of the First French Republic); Alcibiades
(ancient Athenian strategic advisor and military commander);
Sardanapalus (fictional last king of Assyria, depicted by the ancient
Greek writer Ctesias as an effeminate debauchee, sunk in luxury and
sloth); and finally the Gioconda (aka the Mona Lisa).

I also had to look up these words: beef-eater (well fed servant, used
to describe a ruddy complexion); winesap (variety of apple, also used
to describe a red face); bivouac (temporary military camp, borrowed
from French/German); faineant (a do-nothing or neer-do-well, borrowed
from the French). I think it's great that there's so much I don't
know in this book. My goal in reading these 100 books is to become
widely and well read. Looks like I have a idol in Augie March!

I enjoy the rhythm of Bellow's writing. He often gives us a string of
adjectives that have a pleasant staccato effect: "Dingbat's hair was
violent, brilliant, black, treated, ripple-marked." (p. 62) and the
neighborhood's "chin-tied Danish deaconesses who'd come out on the
cradle-ribbed and always fresh-painted porches of their home." (p. 75)

Not a lot of plot in these first 100 pages; but lots of character
descriptions. I especially love Grandma Lausch: "But her memory
specialized in misdemeanors and offenses, which were as ineradicable
from her brain as the patrician wrinkle was between her eyes, and her
dissatisfaction was an element and a part of nature." (p. 24)

I am getting the sense that these first few chapters, up until the
Commissioner's death, are a setup to the Great Depression. There's
the prosperity of Einhorn, and the noting that everyone played the
market, and the absence of real destitute poverty. (Confession: I
picked up this idea from somebody else's notes in the margins) I have
a sense that when the crash does come, Augie is going to be very much
on his own.

My first impression is that this is a good but slow-moving book. I
can see why it was well received at the time of publication (1953),
but I'm not sure how relatable or relevant it will be to today. I'm
interested to know more of what happens to Augie March.

Happy reading! It's raining and cold in Boston; good bread-baking and
book-reading weather!!

-Jennie

[Luvrte66]

I've had to look up some of the same words, Jennie! I enjoy books that
are a bit of a challenge and that I can learn a new word or phrase
from. (My favorite from Angle of Repose was cicatrixed, which means
scarred.) When books like this one throw a lot of names and new terms
at me, I tend to read by the computer so I can easily look things up.

I'm definitely liking Augie. Like you, I'm curious to see what happens
in his life.

On Oct 3, 5:01 pm, jennie fitz <jennifer.joyce.abig...@gmail.com>
wrote: