The Adventures of Augie March resembles The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) and The Catcher in the Rye (1951) in several respects, especially in its dramatization of a footloose and innocent rascal in conflict with his world.

But the two earlier novels are tighter in structure and narrower in scope than Bellow's picaresque narrative. The more relevant predecessor is probably the episodic Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Still, Augie exhibits an intelligence, erudition, and contemplativeness that make him a unique "picaro."