The Adventures of Augie March »

A literary giant, Saul Bellow loomed large over writers attempting the Great American Novel, since many would argue that he has already achieved this feat at least once over. He was considered a foremost chronicler of the Jewish-American post-war experience, but the "human understanding and subtle analysis of contemporary culture that are combined in his work" are what won him the Nobel, and helped him transcend cultural and national borders.

This National Book Award-winning novel takes place in Depression-era Chicago and is not only a testimony on human nature but also of the drive to succeed. The novel follows the adventures of a lifelong dreamer named Augie March, who only through failure after failure finally succeeds in the end. The novel recreates life during the Depression and is filled with memorable characters.

The Atlantic Monthly - Martin Amis

The Adventures of Augie March is the Great American Novel. Search no further. All the trails went cold 42 years ago. The quest did what quests very rarely do; it ended.