This is the second Zuckerman book and in it Nathan's life appears to parallels part of Roth's, although Roth has denied this.
I enjoyed the first half of the book tremendously and especially the perspectives on fame and life that the now thirty-year-old Nathan Zuckerman shows, but as the novel went on I felt that it was rushed and didn't satisfy my want for a fully closed ending. The inner turmoil was nice and reminded the reader that this is about Nathan's emotional well-being and not about... (show more)

This is the second Zuckerman book and in it Nathan's life appears to parallels part of Roth's, although Roth has denied this.
I enjoyed the first half of the book tremendously and especially the perspectives on fame and life that the now thirty-year-old Nathan Zuckerman shows, but as the novel went on I felt that it was rushed and didn't satisfy my want for a fully closed ending. The inner turmoil was nice and reminded the reader that this is about Nathan's emotional well-being and not about the plot, which seems only to exist to give Nathan a canvas for his feelings.
Roth doesn't do his family scene and funeral justice as he does in other books, and here Zuckerman, who is now two novels deep, still seems too thin a character.
I love Roth's writing and will continue to read him, but so far Zuckerman is not as remarkable as the Swede or Alex Portnoy. Let's hope the Anatomy Lesson gives us the depth we want. (show less)

This book is quick moving little novella (really) about three writers--or is it two? The first writer is Nathan Zuckerman a young up-and-comer who visits his idol E.I. Lonoff and spends an evening with Lonoff's wife and house guest. The rest of the story seems to be more Richard Ford than Phillip Roth.
There is a ton of self-reflection if you look for it (actually the entire story is looked back from 20 years in the future) and this self-reflection parallels the drama of the Lonoff hou... (show more)

This book is quick moving little novella (really) about three writers--or is it two? The first writer is Nathan Zuckerman a young up-and-comer who visits his idol E.I. Lonoff and spends an evening with Lonoff's wife and house guest. The rest of the story seems to be more Richard Ford than Phillip Roth.
There is a ton of self-reflection if you look for it (actually the entire story is looked back from 20 years in the future) and this self-reflection parallels the drama of the Lonoff house.
In a typical Roth style, the book goes right up to the last page, not wasting time with conclusions that the reader can deduce after the final page is put down. I love this about Roth: there is so much more in the book than there is in the book. He does a superb job at leading us into thought without pouching it on us. He is really reader's writer: accessible yet rich. (show less)