Customer Reviews

Philip Roth: Novels 1967-1972: When She Was Good / Portnoy's Complaint / Our Gang / The Breast (Library of America)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If I remember correctly, this book was trashed on the front page of the NY Times Book Review section forty years ago because the reviewer thought a young Jew should not or could not write about small town WASP America. I could not disagree more, both in principle and after reading the novel several years later. I was relieved to find the writer (a man!) would take the trouble to write about a young woman who had marched in her high school band and worked at the Dairy Queen. The book jacket described her as the all-American bitch but I doubt this was Roth's full intention. The ending was beautifully written and so believable it affected my own behavior. Some of the most memorable pages in Roth's prizewinning American Pastoral reminded me of When She Was Good, a book even Roth usually overlooks in talking about his work. Too bad the review may have had a searing effect for a long time.

While none of the three novels and one novella in this collection are as good as Roth's debut, Goodbye, Columbus, or his masterpieces that would come later, such as The Counterlife, Operation Shylock and Sabbath's Theater, they are all good, and show a piece of the progression of one of our best livings writers.

When She Was Good: The first and best novel collected here, When She Was Good is somewhat of an anomaly among Roth's fiction, as the main character, Lucy Nelson, is not Jewish. The humor and pain in this book is also slightly different. Both the humor and the tragedy are less cruel than in Roth's later novels (not that I'm knocking on Roth's cruelty). This novel hits home, and there's something terribly sad about Lucy not being able to reform people the way she would like to.

Portnoy's Complaint: Possibly Roth's most famous novel, and maybe his funniest, but it certainly isn't the best. Alexander Portnoy is like one of Roth's later characters, Mickey Sabbath, in the sense that he is obsessed with sexual pleasure. The difference is the way in which it is obtained: while Mickey Sabbath is a seducer of women, Alexander Portnoy, the "protagonist" of Portnoy's Complaint, prefers to do the act himself. So much so that, in one scene, Alex, while with a woman, has to start thinking about himself in order to get off. If that makes you uncomfortable, this book is not for you, nor is Roth in general, because that's mild by comparison to most of the book. While this novel is hilarious, I got tired of it after a while, and I wish it had elaborated on Portnoy's relationship with his mother.

Our Gang: Considering the plot (Nixon administration) of Our Gang, which did not interest me in the slightest, I actually quite enjoyed this novel. Roth's opinion on the administration is pretty direct, as you will see. Not essential Roth, but certainly worth reading.

The Breast: As you start reading this, you may be reminded of Kafka's Metamorphosis. Don't let it discourage you if you're afraid of the story being unoriginal, because it isn't. It's a great read.

All things considered, this isn't the first Roth you should read (you can't go wrong starting with Goodbye, Columbus, which is funny and touching). However, these are all worthy stories, and help illustrate why Roth is so renowned.

'When She was Good' is not very good.
'The Breast' is a bad- taste joke which cannot approach the Kafka or Gogol that are its inspiration.
'Portnoy's Complaint' is Roth's masterpiece. And even if he has shown through subsequent years great staying power, and considerable seriousness, and truly outstanding work ( Parts of 'American Pastoral' and 'Patrimony' for example) this is the one work in which he reveals what he best has to give.
It is arguably one of the funniest books ever written, and deeply poignant one.
It is an American classic and justifies Roth's place in this series.

This would make a great gift. It's an honor for Philip Roth
to be included in this series. He has never written a bad book. Just give him the Noble prize for literature and be done with it. Thanks for a lifetime of serious laughs and the playful insights,Phil.

The copy was sent without a jacket--as I was collecting the entire series, this was a disappointment. I returned it but was not refunded the purchase price. Will think twice before ordering again. Buying from a bookstore is better.