Herzog | Study Guide

Saul Bellow

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Course Hero. "Herzog Study Guide." Course Hero. 14 Dec. 2017. Web. 28 Sep. 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Herzog/>.

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Course Hero. (2017, December 14). Herzog Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Herzog/

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Course Hero. "Herzog Study Guide." December 14, 2017. Accessed September 28, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Herzog/.

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Course Hero, "Herzog Study Guide," December 14, 2017, accessed September 28, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Herzog/.

Herzog | Chapter Summaries

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Timeline of Events

  • Around 1913 to mid-1920s

    Moses Herzog grows up in a vibrant immigrant neighborhood in Canada before moving to Chicago.

    Chapter 4
  • c. 1950

    Herzog marries Daisy, with whom he has a son, Marco.

    Chapter 4
  • Late 1950s

    Herzog courts Madeleine Pontritter and stops seeing his mistress Sono Oguki.

    Chapter 4
  • Around that same time

    Herzog divorces Daisy and marries Madeleine.

    Chapter 4
  • A few years later

    They move to a country home in the Berkshires and befriend Valentine and Phoebe Gersbach.

    Chapter 1
  • Soon after

    Gersbach becomes Madeleine's secret lover and Herzog's best friend.

    Chapter 1
  • A year later

    Madeleine insists they all move to Chicago, and she makes Herzog find Gersbach a job there.

    Chapter 1
  • After moving to Chicago

    Madeleine announces the marriage is over, kicks Herzog out, but keeps their daughter, June.

    Chapter 1
  • Winter 1964

    Lucas Asphalter tells Herzog Madeleine and Gersbach have been lovers for over two years.

    Chapter 2
  • Around the same time

    Herzog gets a letter from the babysitter, implying Valentine and Madeleine mistreat June.

    Chapter 3
  • Present Day 1964

    Heartsick, Herzog leaves New York and travels to Martha's Vineyard to visit an old friend.

    Chapter 2
  • Later that day

    Shown to his room, Herzog writes a goodbye note, sneaks out, and returns to New York by plane.

    Chapter 3
  • The next night

    Herzog spends the night with his mistress Ramona Donsell and imagines marrying her.

    Chapter 5
  • The next day

    While waiting for Simkin, Madeleine's family lawyer, Moses observes a trial for a murder case.

    Chapter 6
  • Immediately after

    Herzog flies to Chicago determined to see June and confront Madeleine and Gersbach.

    Chapter 7
  • That same night

    Herzog takes his father's pistol, spies on Madeleine and Gersbach, and sees June is fine.

    Chapter 7
  • The next day

    Herzog spends time with June, but gets into a car accident and is arrested while she is with him.

    Chapter 8
  • About an hour later

    Madeleine picks up June at the police station; Herzog's brother Willie bails him out of jail.

    Chapter 8
  • The next afternoon

    Herzog returns to his old house near Ludeyville in the Berkshires.

    Chapter 9
  • A week later

    Ramona shows up in the Berkshires, and Herzog, ready to start over, invites her to dinner.

    Chapter 9

Chapter Summaries Chart

Chapter Summary
Chapter 1 Moses Herzog is alone; Madeleine Pontritter, his wife, has taken up with his best friend, Valentine Gersbach. Herzog, a ... Read More
Chapter 2 In the cab headed toward the train station, Moses Herzog studies the cityscape and the neighborhoods that trigger memori... Read More
Chapter 3 Moses Herzog is on the train to Woods Hole, Massachusetts, heading for the ferry to Martha's Vineyard and his visit with... Read More
Chapter 4 Continuing his writing of letters, Moses Herzog's thoughts move backward in time from his life in New York to memories o... Read More
Chapter 5 Moses Herzog has been invited to Ramona Donsell's for dinner. He reluctantly accepts and then begins to rally. He bathes... Read More
Chapter 6 After their night together, Herzog drops Ramona at work and goes home to phone Simkin, his lawyer. Herzog worries June i... Read More
Chapter 7 Herzog leaves immediately for Chicago to see his daughter, June Herzog, and confront Madeleine Pontritter and Valentine ... Read More
Chapter 8 Moses Herzog is reunited with June Herzog. He takes her to the Museum of Science. She confides Madeleine Pontritter has ... Read More
Chapter 9 Moses Herzog returns to the Ludeyville house and the beautiful acres, which without human care have become something of ... Read More
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