Who Is Saul Bellow? Age, Biography and Wiki
Saul Bellow was born on June 10, 1915, in Lachine, Quebec, Canada. He grew up in Chicago, Illinois, where he attended the University of Chicago. An acclaimed writer, Bellow made a significant impact on American literature, receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1976 for his profound compassion and humanism in writing. Bellow's works often explore themes of identity and existentialism, offering deep insights into the human condition. He passed away on April 5, 2005, leaving behind a legacy that continues to resonate.
| Occupation | Novelist |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | June 10, 1915 |
| Age | 89 Years |
| Birth Place | Lachine, Quebec, Canada |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Country | Canada |
| Date of death | 5 April, 2005 |
| Died Place | Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Popularity
Saul Bellow's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While exact physical measurements of Saul Bellow are not widely documented, anecdotal evidence suggests that he stood at approximately 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) tall. During his lifetime, Bellow’s weight fluctuated but was generally considered to be around the average for his height.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Saul Bellow was married several times throughout his life. His first marriage was to Anita Shirley, with whom he had a son, Gregory. Following their divorce, he married actress Alexandra Bellow, and later, Janis Freedman, with whom he had two sons, Noah and Benjamin. Bellow's relationships often paralleled the tumultuous emotions found within the characters of his novels, reflecting the complexities of love and companionship. As of 2025, Bellow has no current romantic relationships, as he passed away in 2005.
He had three elder siblings - sister Zelda (later Jane, born in 1907), brothers Moishe (later Maurice, born in 1908) and Schmuel (later Samuel, born in 1911). Bellow celebrated his birthday on June 10, although he appears to have been born on July 10, according to records from the Jewish Genealogical Society-Montreal.
(In the Jewish community, it was customary to record the Hebrew date of birth, which does not always coincide with the Gregorian calendar.) Of his family's emigration, Bellow wrote: "The retrospective was strong in me because of my parents. They were both full of the notion that they were falling, falling.
They had been prosperous cosmopolitans in Saint Petersburg. My mother could never stop talking about the family dacha, her privileged life, and how all that was now gone. She was working in the kitchen. Cooking, washing, mending ... There had been servants in Russia ...
But you could always transpose from your humiliating condition with the help of a sort of embittered irony."
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his death, Saul Bellow's net worth was estimated to be around $5 million. His earnings primarily came from his successful career as a novelist, essayist, and playwright. Bellow's works have been published in numerous editions and translated into multiple languages, contributing to his financial legacy.
Career, Business and Investments
Saul Bellow's career spanned several decades, beginning with his first novel, "Dangling Man," published in 1944. Some of his most celebrated works include "The Adventures of Augie March," "Herzog," and "Mr. Sammler's Planet." Recognized for his distinctive style and deep philosophical inquiries, Bellow shaped the landscape of American literature. His investments were primarily focused on publishing and literary ventures, ensuring that his works reached diverse audiences around the globe.
A period of illness from a respiratory infection at age eight both taught him self-reliance (he was a very fit man despite his sedentary occupation) and provided an opportunity to satisfy his hunger for reading: reportedly, he decided to be a writer when he first read Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Social Network
Although Saul Bellow was not part of social media as we know it today, his influence extends through various literary groups, book clubs, and academic circles discussing his contributions to literature. His legacy continues on platforms dedicated to literature and culture, attracting new readers every day.
Bellow said that of all his characters, Eugene Henderson, of Henderson the Rain King, was the one most like himself. Bellow grew up as an immigrant from Quebec.
As Christopher Hitchens describes it, Bellow's fiction and principal characters reflect his own yearning for transcendence, a battle "to overcome not just ghetto conditions but also ghetto psychoses." Bellow's protagonists wrestle with what Albert Corde, the dean in The Dean's December, called "the big-scale insanities of the 20th century." This tr
anscendence of the "unutterably dismal" (a phrase from Dangling Man) is achieved, if it can be achieved at all, through a "ferocious assimilation of learning" (Hitchens) and an emphasis on nobility.
Education
Bellow attended the University of Chicago, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1937. Though his education included a focus on literature, philosophy, and sociology, it was his life experiences and intellectual curiosity that significantly informed his writing.
In conclusion, while Saul Bellow has been gone for nearly two decades, his works and insights into the human experience remain profoundly relevant, ensuring his enduring presence in the literary world. The tales of his life, intellectual pursuits, and human relationships continue to captivate and inspire.
In Chicago, he took part in anthroposophical studies at the Anthroposophical Society of Chicago. Bellow attended Tuley High School on Chicago's west side where he befriended Yetta Barsh and Isaac Rosenfeld. In his 1959 novel Henderson the Rain King, Bellow modeled the character King Dahfu on Rosenfeld.
