Bellow was highly regarded for his outstanding writing, which earned him numerous awards. This particular novel was no exception. His style of writing was characterized by its fierceness, intensity, and profound philosophical depth.

In a predominantly stream of consciousness pattern, he presented us with a morality play from the perspective of Sammler's mind. Sammler was a man who had endured the horrors of the Nazis in Poland.

The writing in this work was truly brilliant, often raw and blunt. It was not a book that would appeal to everyone, but for those who could appreciate its unique qualities, it would offer a deep and profound exploration of the human condition.

A novel in the Library of America, this Bellow story was truly an exercise in using an abundance of words, almost to the point of excess, in an attempt to avoid straightforwardly telling a story.

My aversion to the novel might stem from the fact that I am accustomed to less intellectually demanding fare. Or perhaps it was because I listened to the audiobook version. The book is replete with numerous lists of concepts employed to describe Sammler's thoughts, and many of these terms are rather elaborate and flowery.

Of course, all of this is in keeping with the character, but it did become tiresome. Maybe I felt the boredom more acutely while listening to it being read, as there is no easy way to skim to the end of a long, uninteresting paragraph. I found the first half of the book extremely difficult to engage with.

However, in the second half, there seems to be a bit more substance to the story. Sammler discusses his actions in Poland during the War and contends with his daughter, who has stolen a manuscript about HG Wells. Sammler ultimately engages in a discussion with the manuscript author, where they compare their perspectives on how they view the world. And this seems to be where Bellow was leading all along.

I can envision this appealing to some readers, especially if a particular turn of phrase catches their fancy. I suspect that there are more readers than listeners who would have this experience, since this feels like one of those books whose sentences are best seen and reviewed rapidly for personal reflection, rather than heard as part of a continuous stream. In other words, this novel functions better as a physical book than as an audiobook.

The earth is, quite literally, a mirror of our thoughts. Objects themselves are the embodiment of thoughts. Death serves as the dark backing that a mirror requires if we are to see anything at all.

In MR. SAMMLER’S PLANET, Saul Bellow delves deep into the exploration of what it means to traverse a life marred by moral ambiguity and existential dilemmas, all while frantically attempting to hold onto what one deems as right and just.

The readers are introduced to Artur Sammler, a Holocaust survivor and a self-proclaimed intellectual residing in 1960s New York, a time of intense social and cultural upheaval. As is the case with any of Bellow's creations, he is flawed yet complex, superficial yet contemplative, amusing yet annoyingly so. In essence, he is a deeply human character whose stubbornness undermines his projected image as a global citizen.

Central to the book is Sammler's arduous struggle to make sense of the world around him, as vividly illustrated by his interactions with his own family members and his inability to come to terms with the reality that the world is evolving beyond his sheltered ideals. For Sammler, having endured so much, he refuses to simply let others dictate what he should endure.

I truly relished this book. The storytelling was remarkable, although some chapters did seem to drag. It was fascinating to immerse oneself in the mind of Sammler, a person with whom I have nothing in common. However, I must admit that there were several instances when I had to pause my reading to process certain things. Some paragraphs seemed to contain slurs disguised within the context. Was Sammler justified in his pessimism? I believe the answer hinges upon the reader's state of mind.

I can't help but suspect that Bellow was speaking through Sammler. The author, who would later be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, was a controversial figure with views that could be considered highly offensive, to put it mildly. I wouldn't say he was a man of his time because that would imply his beliefs were static. Bellow once held progressive thoughts but ultimately devolved into an old man railing against the modern world. After all, this novel is regarded as one of the first neoconservative books.

Nevertheless, it's difficult to deny Bellow's remarkable command of language. He was adept at transforming incomprehensible streams of consciousness into coherent and captivating prose. I thoroughly enjoyed Herzog because it was rich in details - of a room, of a person's mannerisms, of the flawed protagonist's perspective. And I witnessed the same in Mr. Sammler’s Planet, where I was granted a front-row seat to the tumultuous mind of Artur Sammler. You can sense the vitality of New York leaping off the pages, as if you are right in the thick of the chaos, not only of the city but also of the cast of characters in Sammler's world.

Herzog remains my favorite Bellow novel, though!

Some of the political philosophy presented in the novel truly went over my head. It was a complex and often晦涩的 aspect that I struggled to fully understand.

However, despite this, I found great enjoyment in Bellow's writing style. His prose was engaging, vivid, and filled with a certain charm that drew me in from the very beginning.

The story itself was also captivating. It was a tale that explored various themes and ideas, taking the reader on a journey through the minds and lives of the characters.

Overall, I would consider this a very intelligent novel. It may have had its challenging moments, but it was also a work that rewarded careful reading and thought. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and well-written piece of literature.