Originally published in 1953, Saul Bellows modern picaresque tale grandly illustrates twentieth-century mans restless pursuit of an elusive meaning. Augie March, a young man growing up in Chicago during the Great Depression, doesnt understand success on other peoples terms. Fleeing to Mexico in search of something to fill his restless soul and soothe his hunger for adventure, Augie latches on to a wild succession of occupations until his journey brings him full circle. Yet beneath Augies carefree nature lies a reflective person with a strong sense of responsibility to both himself and others, who in the end achieves a success of his own making. A modern-day Columbus, Augie March is a man searching not for land but for self and soul and, ultimately, for his place in the world.
