Was Augie March thread, misc.

[Mark Kohut]

I wonder whether TRP liked Bellow's work better than Bellow liked his, as SB's reaction to it has
been brought up on the plist, I believe. I bet he did: P's reading seems very large-hearted, snubbing 
nothing pre-emptively and maybe liking little but trivial, mediocre books, which he probably has long avoided.

Here's a P tangent involving one of P's first great 'getters', Tony Tanner. Tanner's penetrating of P's meanings, style 
and early achievement-- without a net, as it were, is very commendable, as has been said (by Rich, at least, I think). 

Anyway, I heard a story which I later did find in print---which means, if it is not true, it is now institutionalized as truth!----
about Saul and Tony being at the same literary party (In London, I think). Tanner had written on Saul B's work as
well, of course. Someone at the party asked Tanner if he had ever met Saul and he said No. The person decided
to introduce them. He took Tony over to Saul, who when he learned who he was snubbed him with a line like this:
"I know everything I need to know about him; he knows nothing about me."...

Ah, the literary life...