The Adventures of Augie March

The Adventures of Augie March is the latest of books I've read that were mentioned on the Modern Libraries Top 100 Novels list. I would say this book is a modernized "Of Human Bondage" with the main character, Augie March, tripping through late adolescence and into early manhood with all of life's attentions focused on either money and women, many times simultaneously. Augie is born and lives in well fare supported poverty while surrounded by men who run fairly successful business in and around Chicago. Being poor, Augie idolizes the upper class and participates in various schemes to make money and become a part of a higher caste. Along the way he careens with several different girls who he falls in and out of love with and sigh, learns a little bit about himself while at it. All throughout Augie finds himself not really fitting in and not being able figure out exactly what he wants to do with his life, so he meanders around, eventually ending up in Mexico with some girl he once knew. He allows her to convince him that her plot, to train an American Eagle to catch a giant iguana so that National Geographic can make a story of it, is full proof and goes along with the plan until he gets kicked in the head by a mule. Poor Augie. Other adventures follow.

I guess I liked the book okay, I guess. It seemed to drag on as many of the scenarios seem too mundane and by the end, while he is drifting in a life boat on the Atlantic, I kinda wanted to see him sink. Sorry Augie.