Seize the Day
Encyclopedia
Seize the Day, first published in 1956, is considered (by, for example, prominent critic James Wood
) one of the great works of 20th century literature. Seize the Day was Saul Bellow
's fourth novel
(or perhaps novella
, given its short length). It was written in the 1950s, a formative period in the creation of the middle class
in the United States
.
from his wife (who refuses to agree to a divorce
), and estranged from his children and his father. He is also stuck with the same immaturity and lack of insight which has brought him to failure. In Seize the Day Wilhelm experiences a day of reckoning as he is forced to examine his life and to finally accept the "burden of self".
starred in a 1986 film adaptation of Seize the Day
.
James Wood (critic)
James Wood is a literary critic, essayist and novelist. he is Professor of the Practice of Literary Criticism at Harvard University and a staff writer at The New Yorker magazine.-Background and education:...
) one of the great works of 20th century literature. Seize the Day was Saul Bellow
Saul Bellow
Saul Bellow was a Canadian-born Jewish American writer. For his literary contributions, Bellow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the National Medal of Arts...
's fourth novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
(or perhaps novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
, given its short length). It was written in the 1950s, a formative period in the creation of the middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Synopsis
The story centers around a day in the life of Wilhelm Adler (aka Tommy Wilhelm), a failed actor in his forties. Wilhelm is unemployed, impecunious, separatedLegal separation
Legal separation is a legal process by which a married couple may formalize a de facto separation while remaining legally married. A legal separation is granted in the form of a court order, which can be in the form of a legally binding consent decree...
from his wife (who refuses to agree to a divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
), and estranged from his children and his father. He is also stuck with the same immaturity and lack of insight which has brought him to failure. In Seize the Day Wilhelm experiences a day of reckoning as he is forced to examine his life and to finally accept the "burden of self".
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
Robin WilliamsRobin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
starred in a 1986 film adaptation of Seize the Day
Seize the Day (film)
Seize the Day is a 1986 film directed by Fielder Cook. It stars Robin Williams and Jerry Stiller. It is based on the novel of the same name by Saul Bellow.-Plot Summary:...
.