Philip Roth

[metal134]

After having my eyes opened by those on this board to the fact that true literature is not dead, I have read some fine novels by Cormac McCarthy and Don DeLillo and have Pynchon's "Gravity's Rainbow" and "V" on my list. So now, I turn my attention to Philip Roth. What works of his do you suggest and why?

[rob91]

Goodbye, Colombus and Portnoy's Complaint. I wasn't as impressed by The Human Stain as others seem to be, but it's still a good work and maybe worth your time. I've been getting into Roth lately, I will probably make American Pastoral one of the next I read, which I've heard great things about.

[metal134]

Cool, thanks for the suggestions.

[generalowk]

I know that it doesn't often rate high on people's lists of Roth favorites, but if you like baseball and literature, I recommend The Great American Novel. Roth says it was the most fun of his novels to write.

[metal134]

Oh hell yeah I like baseball!

[generalowk]

TGAN has some incredibly hilarious parts. I thought the ending was a bit convoluted, but then, you don't read books like this for the drama of the plot.

[Lambert]

The order to read Roth in:

Portnoy's Complaint
The Counterlife
Sabbath's Theater
Zuckerman Bound (collection of four short novels)
The Human Stain
I hope that helps...

[metal134]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, you definitley have given me a good starting point