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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780374529499
ISBN number: 0374529493
Label: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 384
Printing Date: September 13, 2004
Publishing house: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: August 26, 2004
Sale Popularity Level: 342560
Studio: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
'An overlooked masterpiece. It may still be undervalued as Malamud's funniest and most embracing novel.' --Jonathan Lethem
In A New Life, Bernard Malamud--generally thought of as a distinctly New York writer--took on the American myth of the West as a place of personal reinvention.
When Sy Levin, a high school teacher beset by alcohol and bad decisions, leaves the city for the Pacific Northwest to start over, it's no surprise that he conjures a vision of the extraordinary new life awaiting him there: 'He imagined the pioneers in covered wagons entering this valley for the very first time. Although he had lived little in nature Levin had always loved it, and the sense of having done the right thing in leaving New York was renewed in him.' Soon after his arrival at Cascadia College, however, Levin realizes he has been taken in by a mirage. The failures pile up anew, and Levin, fired from his post, finds himself back where he started and little the wiser for it.
A New Life--as Jonathan Lethem's introduction makes clear--is Malamud at his best: with his belief in luck and new beginnings Sy Levin embodies the thwarted yearning for transcendence that is at the heart of all Malamud's work.
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Rated by buyers 
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As a Northwesterner, I was interested in reading this book because of its setting. The descriptions of Washington State (my home state) were done pretty well, but the dialogue between the unrealistic characters was less than satisfactory. Malamud chose to ramble on, sometimes in two page segments, in inneffective attempts at a sort of social statement. The ending of this book was absolutely ridiculous.
Rated by buyers -
Sy moves away from a disintegrating life in NY to rebuild and recreate himself in the mid west. But like the scorpion in the fable;he just can't help being who he is! Malamud seemed to move into this area of exploration with more contemporary characters in his latter books-this is broadly similar to 'Dubins Lives'-where are lives are influenced by our natures and the moment in history we exist in,yet we continually try to satisfy the falsehoods of society,or other peoples expectations.
This is a good,satisfying read.Malamuds prose of even mundane surroundings leave a vivid picture in your mind,and there are great pieces of humour: ("We're going to do it on the desk?" "I hated to mention the floor,but where else is there!")
I love Malamuds work for many reasons.Yes this is a lot 'softer' than 'The Fixer' or the life of poor old Fiedelman,but it gives another insight to Malamuds take on life.
He's also a member of the 'Holy Trinity' of great 20th century Jewish writers;sitting alongside Beshevis Singer and Saul Bellow, in my view.
Rated by buyers -
Bernard Malamud is known for creating deeply flawed characters with strong ideals, and Seymour Levin - known interchangeably as S, Sy, Seymour, Levin and Lev - the central character in this wonderful novel, is no exception. A thirty year old masters graduate, down on his luck, but with the backing of an NYU education, he lands a job as a college instructor in the English department of a fictional mid-western state (Cascadia) college. This opens up an interesting cast of characters who view him with a mix of interest, disinterest, partly an inferior, an activist/idealist (his beard suggests he is a radical in the year 1950 in the midst of red-baiting and community suspicion), a potential threat, an alien, an anomaly.
Levin, "formerly a drunkard" (to quote the author) has deep seated problems and issues of self worth. He is a plain man, though definitely an idealist; however, one gets the sense early on that his idealism comes less from a passionate, inward set of convictions and more from a sense of inferiority, and a desire to find meaning in ideas. His activities and how quickly he reacts to the new environment are fascinating - he wastes no time getting inappropriately involved with a female student, sleeping with the wife of a trusting colleague or getting embroiled in the politics of the English department (here Malamud provides an interesting look at a college in a conservative town that values professional training at the expense of literature and learning) and being drawn into a myriad of ethical and moral dilemmas. Without spoiling the plot any further, Levin breaks every conventional rule in the book - this makes him less a sympathetic character and more someone the reader is almost glad to see suffer the fate he does. I would not have felt this way if I got the sense that Levin was fighting for something and doing it sensibly - while I love literature, the way Levin goes about seeking its elevation seems foolish and misguided. Perhaps more about ego and an endeavor to feel worthy than out of a true love of books.
This is in essence something of a morality tale, and if I had to get to the heart of what Malamud is saying here it would have to be that misplaced idealism - without moral or ethical standards - will destroy the person within. I found it to be both gripping and bleak at the same time, but surely one of my favorite Malamud novels (and I have now read them all, so will have to find a new author to stalk!).
It seems that from the sparseness of the reviews here and from the seeming lack of recognition this book has received, it is one of his least known works. That is a shame because the characters and plot are fascinating; the themes are timeless (suspicion of someone who looks different, moral bankruptcy, clash of conservatism and radicalism, status quo versus change) and the writing is very good.
Rated by buyers 
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I am a long-time admirer of Malamud. In my view, "The Assistant" and "The Natural" are two of the outstanding novels of the 20th Century. I can still recall my gratification upon finishing "The Magic Barrel."
In the case of first-time exposure to a book,play,or movie, I believe that expectation frequently colors reaction. Given my experience with Malamud, I began to read "A New Life: with a sanguine attitude. The very first page, carefully calculated to entice the reader's interest, validated this attitude. Although my enthusiasm waned over the subsequent 20 or 30 pages, I reminded myself of Malamud's literary prowess. He's just having a little trouble revving up the engine, I thought. Happens to the best of them. My man will get off the ground shortly and we'll be soaring into the clouds.
Malamud's early take on Levin bolstered my confidence. Levin is an unsuccessful teacher, a former drunk, a tactless, gauche klutz whose professional and intellectual capacity and social skills are, to say the least, limited. The reader will identify with Levin, or root for him, or feel sorry for him, or simply connect with him, however attenuated the connection, WHEN LEVIN CHANGES. And so, the reader looks forward to finding out what manner of event, what shift in circumstance, will rehabilitate Levin, or trigger his turnabout, or spark his transformation, or signal some incipient but viable adjustment of his personality and character. Or perhaps will reveal some redeeming quality, some suppressed side of Levin that is rational, perceptive, sensitive, sensible.
It doesn't happen. Levin's self-destructive behavior accelerates, and the book plunges irreversibly into contrived farce and fatuous set-scenes devoid of credibility. Contrary to Mr. Lethem's Introduction, the book is neither comic nor tragic; it is simply hollow in its core.
To revisit the credibility issue, Levin's attempts to insert himself into and influence campus politics are so maladroit as to be unbelievable. His relationship with Pauline is self-delusional and empty-headed, and is not plausible. The ultimate implausibility, of course, is the last segment.
The book does contain well written descriptions of scenes from nature. But why so many? Some of the dialogue is clever in a stilted way. College-faculty environments are unquestionably as vicious as reflected, but surely the real-life intrigues are not conducted on the level of ineptitude depicted here. Beyond those small plus-factors, the book fails in terms of plot, narrative, and character development. Like Levin, "A New Life" is a loser. Come to think of it, Malamud's purpose may have been to write the book as a metaphor for stupidity.
Rated by buyers 
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'A New Life' by Bernard Malamud is the fifth novel I've read by him and with each book I am further convinced of his genious. He was a master at the novel (not just short story). Though his works are funny they are also deeply humane and, from a literary standpoint, subtle. I can't think of anything more difficult in writing than subtlety. Time and again, while reading this book I'd have to pause and reread a line or paragraph because of his subtle and miraculous use of language. The main character, Levin, is somewhat of a comic hero, but there is deep truth in him. His life is regret and he wonders when he will actually begin living. Already thirty, an outcast from the east in a northwestern college town, Levin's new chapter of life is on vivid, often comic and sad display for the reader. Another masterpiece!
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