Philip Roth - American Pastoral
This was the first novel by Philip Roth that I've read and, whilst I did really enjoy it, I also found it quite hard going. Roth's prose are detailed and conversational and this lends the book depth and realism, but also leaves it rambling and full of somewhat frustrating tangents.
The reader is introduced to the central character of the novel, Seymour 'the Swede' Levov, through the eyes of one of his near contemporaries. To me, this character was essentially Roth imagining/remembering his own childhood hero and this was the part of the book that I found the most difficult to read. On the one hand, this section paints a broad biography of the Swede from childhood to death as seen by a relatively distant outsider. On the other, this part lingers for too long on the memories of a narrator to which - as far as I can tell - we do not return.
Parts two and three, however, were engrossing. The Swede's relationship with his daughter becomes the focus of the novel and his perspective informs the reader. We touch on the Swede's difficult memories of his daughter to his more immediate reactions to various events in the novel. As his realization of the American Dream slowly - then quickly - disintegrates, we are provided with a fictionalized account of the midcentury United States that touches on matters of immigrant identity, U.S. interventionism, and the disconnect between children and their parents. These sections were gripping and full of series of strong character portraits that I throughly enjoyed.
Overall, I'd say that this is book worth your time if this is a period of American history that interests you. I've got two more Roth books ready to go and look forward to reading more of his work.
The reader is introduced to the central character of the novel, Seymour 'the Swede' Levov, through the eyes of one of his near contemporaries. To me, this character was essentially Roth imagining/remembering his own childhood hero and this was the part of the book that I found the most difficult to read. On the one hand, this section paints a broad biography of the Swede from childhood to death as seen by a relatively distant outsider. On the other, this part lingers for too long on the memories of a narrator to which - as far as I can tell - we do not return.
Parts two and three, however, were engrossing. The Swede's relationship with his daughter becomes the focus of the novel and his perspective informs the reader. We touch on the Swede's difficult memories of his daughter to his more immediate reactions to various events in the novel. As his realization of the American Dream slowly - then quickly - disintegrates, we are provided with a fictionalized account of the midcentury United States that touches on matters of immigrant identity, U.S. interventionism, and the disconnect between children and their parents. These sections were gripping and full of series of strong character portraits that I throughly enjoyed.
Overall, I'd say that this is book worth your time if this is a period of American history that interests you. I've got two more Roth books ready to go and look forward to reading more of his work.
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