The adventures of augie march/saul bellow

Saul Bellows American masterpiece, The Adventures of Augie March includes an introduction by Christopher Hitchens in Penguin Modern Classics.

A penniless and parentless Chicago boy growing up in the Great Depression, Augie March drifts through life latching on to a wild succession of occupations, including butler, thief, dog-washer, sailor and salesman.

He is a born recruit, easily influenced by others who try to mould his destiny.

Not until he tangles with the glamorous Thea, a huntress with a trained eagle, can he attempt to break free.

A modern day everyman on an odyssey in search of reality and identity, Augie March is the star of star performer in a richly observed human variety show, a modern-day Columbus in search of reality and fulfilment.