From Library Journal
Over the 30 years that she served as his literary agent, Wasserman came to see herself as "a real-life character in a living Saul Bellow novel." The Nobel Prize winner called her his "coach, manager, and trainer" and regarded her highly as a friend. As a result, Wasserman?along with the literary establishment?was shocked in 1996 when Bellow switched to agent Andrew Wylie, who seems to specialize in luring clients away from competitors. Despite this betrayal, in this brief memoir Wasserman avoids judgments, instead recounting episodes in Bellow's life and allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. Although the author describes her subject as "a literary idol and an electric, formidable presence," Bellow comes across as self-centered and somewhat naive in his dealings with others. These informal vignettes provide insights into a highly complex individual, insights possible only from a longtime friend and business associate. Recommended for all libraries.?Denise J. Stankovics, Rockville P.L., Vernon, Conn.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Wasserman was Saul Bellow's literary agent, good friend, and "first reader" for 25 years, and does she have stories to tell! Young, skittish, and vague about her future when she began working in the literary world ("probably no one grows up wanting to be a literary agent"), Wasserman attracted Bellow's attention and eventually established her own agency on the basis of their successful collaboration. Wasserman, at Bellow's beck and call throughout the writing of all his works from Humboldt's Gift on, was at his side when he was awarded the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes, and when he entered into and ended marriages, thus seeing this revered genius at his brilliant best and manipulative worst. A disarmingly blithe memoirist, Wasserman writes seemingly breezy prose that is, in fact, infused with a wealth of intriguing detail, intense emotions, and keen insights. Bellow, who recently fired Wasserman after all her hard work and devotion, emerges as a perpetual enfant terrible, while Wasserman, free of bitterness, comes into focus as graciousness and integrity personified. Donna Seaman
