Ravelstein
Ravelstein by Saul Bellow, published by Penguin on May 1, 2001, is a reissue edition comprising 240 pages in English. The novel centers on Abe Ravelstein, a distinguished professor at a midwestern university who excels in mentoring influential figures in politics. Encouraged by his friend Chick, Ravelstein unexpectedly publishes a book that brings him financial success, prompting discussions about profound themes such as mortality, philosophy, and the nature of human existence during a trip to Paris.
Readers will find a narrative that explores the complexities of friendship and the interplay of ideas that shape lives. As Ravelstein confronts his own mortality due to AIDS, the story delves into the emotional landscapes of love, memory, and the impact of past experiences. The work is characterized by its psychological depth and literary richness, offering insights into the human condition while blending humor with somber reflections.
Official synopsis Publisher
Abe Ravelstein is a brilliant professor at a prominent midwestern university and a man who glories in training the movers and shakers of the political world. He has lived grandly and ferociously-and much beyond his means. His close friend Chick has suggested that he put forth a book of his convictions about the ideas which sustain humankind, or kill it, and much to Ravelstein’s own surprise, he does and becomes a millionaire. Ravelstein suggests in turn that Chick write a memoir or a life of him, and during the course of a celebratory trip to Paris the two share thoughts on mortality, philosophy and history, loves and friends, old and new, and vaudeville routines from the remote past. The mood turns more somber once they have returned to the Midwest and Ravelstein succumbs to AIDS and Chick himself nearly dies.
Deeply insightful and always moving, Saul Bellow’s new novel is a journey through love and memory. It is brave, dark, and bleakly funny: an elegy to friendship and to lives well (or badly) lived.
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