''The Actual'' is a 1997 novella by the American author Saul Bellow.

Plot synopsis

Like most of Bellow's fiction, the story centers on the lives of a group of passionate and anxious people living in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. Harry Trellman has formed a friendship with the fabulously wealthy Sigmund Adletsky. Sigmund aims to bring Harry together with Harry's childhood sweetheart, Amy Wustrin.

Reception

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' called it "(a) kind of an affectionate, latter-day ' Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock", in which "plot (is) secondary".The Actual
reviewed at ''

''; published April 28 1997; retrieved December 9, 2018 ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' considered it to be "witty" and "sharp", with "vividly sketched characters" but "perfunctory" plotting.The Actual
reviewed at ''

''; published March 1, 1997; archived online May 20, 1997; retrieved December 9, 2018 In ''

the Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'',

Martin Amis Martin Louis Amis (born 25 August 1949) is a British novelist, essayist, memoirist, and screenwriter. He is best known for his novels ''Money'' (1984) and ''London Fields'' (1989). He received the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his memoir '' ...

called it "scrupulously written".

References

1997 American novels Novels by Saul Bellow American novellas Novels set in Chicago Viking Press books {{1990s-novel-stub