An essential masterwork by Nobel laureate Saul Bellow -- now with an introduction by J. M. Coetzee

A Penguin Classic

Expecting to be inducted into the army to fight in World War II, Joseph has given up his job and carefully prepared for his departure to the battlefront. When a series of mix-ups delays his induction, he finds himself facing a year of idleness. Saul Bellow's first novel documents Joseph's psychological reaction to his inactivity while war rages around him and his uneasy insights into the nature of freedom and choice.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

• We started tracking this book on December 9, 2016.
• This book was $9.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 110 times in the past 2,995 days.
• The current price of this book is $4.99 last checked 12 hours ago.
• The lowest price to date was $4.99 last reached on February 15, 2025.
• This book has been $4.99 5 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $12.99 last reached on June 5, 2024.
• This book has been $12.99 20 times since we started tracking it.
• This book is currently at its lowest price since we started tracking it.

• Literature & Fiction

• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 156 Pages
• File Size: 1,406 KB