Resumo de Humboldt?s Gift

In today?s reality, if anybody wishes to taste life in America through
the late thirties till the early seventies; the turbulent days and the
scintillating nights associated with it; the glint and the glamour, the mirth
and murder, affluence and privation going hand in gloves, I would recommend Humboldt?s
Gift by Saul Bellow. Told in the first person narrative choice, this
mammoth novel is mostly a chronology of the author?s reminiscences, some of
which are dramatically hectic, painfully poignant and utterly frisky and
frolicsome. Surprisingly enough, in all its four hundred and odd pages there is
neither any chapter heading nor a sub-title offering a clue to the reader. Considering this to be the Nobel Laureate?s
finest creation, Humboldt?s Gift is immensely entertaining, chock full of
alacrity and anecdotes to warm up the c oldest of hearts. Also, as a narrator
of events, Bellow is convincingly descriptive, going into every detail to stamp
into the reader?s mind, incidents that look place decades ago in a near
cinematic flavour. Fancy the array of characters that has come to play their
roles in the book. From an all American avante garde poet who rose to the
height of his fame but remained unrecognized by the American hierarchy during
his lifetime and had to die a miserable death, alone, penniless and uncared for
in a solitary cell (Von Humboldt Fisher) to the crazy Italian from the Al
Capone era whose only weapon was Threat in all its criminal assortment (Rinaldo
Cantabiles). Then there is Denise, the narrator?s estranged wife whose ultimate
objective was to wrench out her erring husband?s liver and fry it with plenty
of onion before savoring the delicacy, may be, with some white anchovy sauce.
Take the case of lawyer Forrest Tomcheck who had ?bully refinements? and was
fond of befriending his clients to a superlative degree before cutting them up.
As there are no principal characters (as such) in the novel, all the people appearing
in its pages augment the central theme individually as well as collectively.
Nor did the author spare such personalities like Ike Eisenhower or Harry S.
Truman. Mind you, this was not done merely for name-dropping. It had a purpose
and that has been well achieved. Also, there is friend, Pierre Thaxter who is
warmly devoted to his ?extended family? consisting of many children by many
wives across Europe and the continent or
Renata, the lascivious lady friend of narrator Charles Citrine who is perpetually
in search of her ?undisclosed? father, siphoning her lover?s fortune in pricey
inter-continental flights every now and again. In portraying Renata?s beauty
and her lifestyle, the author has devoted quite a number of paragraphs, always
paying glowing tributes to her feminine charms, describing the fine set of
tooth revealed during an enchanting smile or the shape of her nape occasionally
exposed while knotting her lovely hair. While admitting himself as a
?nymph-troubled man and a person of frenzied longings chasing a gold digger?
Charles Citrine, the narrator, nevertheless admires the girl?s ?feelings? for
him though occasionally, he felt betrayed and remained depressed for months on
end. Describing her on the first date on a wet, gloomy day, she wore a plastic
raincoat divided into red, white and black bands with a broad, bent brim hat
and a banana?fragrant lipstick. In short, she looked irresistible and Citrine
took her to a hotel room paid at ?Conference Rate? (hourly basis), downing
martinis. However, when the girl fell sick and intoxicated, Citrine felt it his
duty to protect her instead of the usual staff a lecher may make. Besides, he
avows ?one could not make it without love? and safely reaches her home. Therein
lies the soulful tackling of an otherwise sordid affair by the great novelist.

Before closing I must list
some of Bellow?s ?literary technical terms? that runs like this: ?A female?s
bacterial background of deep love?; ?Never yet touched a fig leaf that did not
turn into a price tag?; ?Happiness is nothing but temporary remission of
complexities?; ?The dead are alive in us if we choose to keep them alive?;
?Suffering from longing-heart-it is?; ?Not only are best things in life free,
but you can?t be too free with the best things in life?; ?An erotic
lightweight? and ?Dog-food level of thoughts?.

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