Nelson Algren: A Life on the Wild Side

by Bettina Drew

This is the first biography of the woefully neglected Chicago-born writer who Hemingway predicted would rank among our best American novelists. Nelson Algren lived a life of extremes: from a Texas jail to Sartre's Paris (and a love affair with Simone de Beauvoir); from skid-row soup kitchens to Hollywood champagne parties; from public censorship to the National Book Award for The Man with the Golden Arm.

A deeply committed, passionate writer, Algren's finest work came out of his identification with America's downtrodden - the losers, whores, gamblers and vagrants with whom he surrounded himself for much of his life. Prominent in the literary left of the thirties and forties, he produced an impressive legacy of novels, and his work survives as the last in that lost tradition of writers such as Twain, Dreiser and Anderson, who chose to look at American society from the outside.

Bettina Drew's highly sympathetic treatment of her subject, and her acute sense of social context, bring alive a complex and tragic figure, and put the best of Nelson Algrens' writing firmly back on centre stage.

Nelson Algren: A Life on the Wild Side is Bettina Drew's first book. She lives in New York.

Genres: Biography, Biography Memoir

416 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1989

Reviews

[Keith Schnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is pretty much the only good biography of Nelson Algren available. The main reason for this is the biographer’s attitude towards her subject: although she clearly appreciates his work, she does not for a minute buy into the persona that Algren tried continuously, and often unsuccessfully, to build around himself. This means that while she is able to explore at some length the ways that events in his life influenced his work, which is often a fascinating look inside his writing process, she doesn’t let her clear admiration for the writer cause her to pull any punches when dealing with the less admirable parts of his life. Most notable among these were his ruinous gambling addiction and his callous treatment of his wives and friends, as well as his inability to deal with what he perceived to be insufficient recognition of his success by the American people and by Hollywood, which left him to waste his talent in sulking for the last thirty years of his life. Bettina Drew strikes the right balance in profiling an important and complex character who had more in common with his characters than even he seemed to realize.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad story of an impressive man who peaked in his forties and then for the next three decades turned his back on the writing that gave his life meaning.

[Ronald Schulz · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting writer's life story. If only he weren't so morose and moody, he'd have gotten more acclaim for his work and the happiness that always seemed to elude him. His soul-mate, Simone de Beauvoir idolized him and expanded his horizons and yet they could have been wider. That's a lesson to us all.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being from Chicago, I knew of Nelson Algren. After reading a book on existentialism which mentioned his affair with Simone de Beauvoir I got intrigued. This is a great biography on an American writer that seems to have been forgotten. I did not know he wrote "Man with the Golden Arm".
Highly recommend learning about his life and reading his work.

[Leonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is stunning, but I found myself waiting for something to actually happen. It felt very much like Del and Rodney getting into get rich quick scrapes. It just was not for me, but I am sure other people really dig it. I think I would have preferred it if it had been written as chapters or short stories.

[Gris · Rating 5 out of 5]

L'únic home que hagués fet feliç a la Beauvoir

[Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had this book on my bookshelf forever and didn't read it. Tho Bettina Drew isn't the best writer, the facts of Algren's life are fascinating enough to keep you reading. There's not a lot out there about Algren. But if you're a fan you'll really like this!

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as I can tell, Algren is a composite of Bukowski, Ginsberg, Kerouac and Cassady.

[Tommy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top notch bio of a top notch author!