Portrait Of An Artist As An Old Man
(Joseph Heller)
Portrait of an Arist as An Old Men is Joseph Heller?s last
novel, which was published after his death. It is a unique novel that
deals with a writer?s search for creativity and the popularity that he
was once had. The main character is Eugene Pota, who was once a great
author, but recently has not been able to produce works worthy of
recognition. Pota?s life partially resembles Heller?s own life. Heller?s
first novel was Catch-22, which today is regarded as a classic and one
of the greatest novels of the 20th century. Some of his later novels
were pretty good such as Something Happened and Good as Gold. When your
first novel is as great as Catch-22, it is difficult to produce another
great work. None of Heller?s other works have gotten the same kind of
recognition and as a result his reputation has suffered. He has written
other great books and they deserve much more attention. This book about
the author?s search for creativity resembles Heller?s own search for
creativity in his journey to write another great American novel.Eugene
Pota seeks ideas for a new novel from everybody including his wife and
old girlfriends. At first he decides to write about his wife?s sex
life, but realizes that he does not know enough about it. He has
another idea where he writes a story about God and God?s life who
debate Creationism. This was a pretty funny story. Throughout the
course of the novel Pota begins many books, but does not finish them.
He has some good ideas, but nothing of substance. Throughout the novel,
Pota discusses how there were many great authors who have written great
books early and were unable to produce anything worthy later on in
their careers. As a result, many of them became alcoholics or even
suicidal such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. Pota is at
least thankful that his life has not been so despairing.Ultimately,
before he died Heller did not leave us a novel with a great plot or a
great message but a meditation on the creative process and the trials
and tribulations of being a writer. It shows both the hope and despair
and the fame and anonymity.
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