VARIE TY
445
AN 0 N. (CIRCA 1965)
To introduce a variatron on variety-it might be called Puzzles
and Epiphanies-and for the benefit of those who might have mislaid
their July issue of
Glamour,
we reprint the following, an excerpt from
an interview with a well-known novelist:
"Back at the University again, Mr. Stem and I wandered
through the bookshop while waiting for Mr. Bellow-who had admitted
he was fresh out of money as easily as a man might admit he was out of
matches-to cash a check. In a well-known literary magazine, we dis–
covered a review of
Herzog
that ridiculed every virtue earlier reviewers
had found in the book, and attacked the author personally as well.
Stern bought it after some debate (it also contained a favorable review
-by another critic--of
his
latest book), but we agreed not to mention
it. 'I know Saul has been warned about this review,' Stem explained,
'but I'm not going to bring it up unless he does. It's vicious. It's
unforgivable. '
"But in the car, Bellow saw the magazine and, on the long drive to
the next spot on our tour, seemed quite willing to discuss it. 'There were
always those who didn't like
Herzog,
but since the big critics treated it
so well-and especially since it became a best seller-there have been
many attacks. I'm fair game now. It's the Golden Bough: I'm on top
and must be cut down. I understand that, or try to.'
"Stem, who had read enough of the review to be very angry for
his friend, said that this particular critic was unqualified and had an
obvious personal bias. They went into the literary politicking in more
detail, and added that other editors on the same magazine were greatly
upset by the review. I asked about the critic's background: where had
he come from? 'Harvard, of course,' said Bellow grimly."
