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mitchellhb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mundleecat's review against another edition
3.0
it was certainly a book. yes, I can appreciate the structure and humor but overall, I wasn’t engaged for most of it! still an interesting read in the context of jewish comedy, especially in the very meta final chapter.
markfullmer's review against another edition
3.0
After a friend jokingly suggested recommending this marathon of a psychosexual rant to difficult students, I decided I might as well foist it on myself.
The conceit of the book is that the narrator, Alexander Portnoy, is talking to his psychotherapist, but it really just ends up being one long monologue of the narrator's life in a style that you'll appreciate if you like yiddish kvetching, featuring such detailed descriptions as the lovely bowel movements of the narrator's costive papa, and the lovely private parts of the narrator's mama, and a chapter devoted to the narrator's discovery of onanism--with a particularly memorable recounting of his deflowering of a cut of liver.
The conceit of the book is that the narrator, Alexander Portnoy, is talking to his psychotherapist, but it really just ends up being one long monologue of the narrator's life in a style that you'll appreciate if you like yiddish kvetching, featuring such detailed descriptions as the lovely bowel movements of the narrator's costive papa, and the lovely private parts of the narrator's mama, and a chapter devoted to the narrator's discovery of onanism--with a particularly memorable recounting of his deflowering of a cut of liver.
batcountry101's review against another edition
4.0
One of the funniest novels I've read. Poor Portney is now an archetype the 'kibitzing Jew.' There is a little Portney in almost every Jewish comedian I've enjoyed over the years. Reading Portney's Complaint is akin to unearthing the first of a line...the original. Funny, profane, Mother'd, constantly striving to be the 'good Jewish boy', but constantly failingly due to baser desires.
mascha_blue's review against another edition
4.0
This is my second attempt at reading Roth and I can see why this book set him up for fame. Roth left nothing to imagination as he relayed the life and times of Alex Portnoy. It's a book about sex in its various formats - lust, infidelity, threesomes, attempted rape, and lots of masturbation - as told by Alex to his psychologist. Along the way, we learn how he was shaped by his Jewish family and upbringing. While he loved being a Jewish male growing up in Newark, he had not much love for any female, especially his mother, whom Alex blames for many of his troubles.
So no, Alex is not likeable and the first part of the book became tedious with all the repetition, but I was glad I continued because the last part of the book flowed as Alex examined his life choices and behaviors with a mix of hilarious humor and unrelenting criticism.
So no, Alex is not likeable and the first part of the book became tedious with all the repetition, but I was glad I continued because the last part of the book flowed as Alex examined his life choices and behaviors with a mix of hilarious humor and unrelenting criticism.
itsmiriam18's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn't finish this book. It's written in pages long paragraphs and is just the internal monologue of a young boy. It was difficult for me to stay interested and to focus for so long without many breaks. But apparently it's a classic so maybe I'll give it another shot later.
sarahrigg's review against another edition
4.0
I probably picked this book up because I thought it'd be sexy. Not as sexy as people make it out to be, but funny! I was reading quite a lot of erotica including Anais Nin's diaries and "Tropic of Cancer" around the same time.
ombraluce's review against another edition
5.0
Woody Allen, chi era costui? A confronto di questo ancor giovane Philip Roth, arrabbiatissimo e strapieno di sensi di colpa ebraici, Allen sembra proprio un dio minore, una pallida imitazione.
I rapporti con la famiglia, la precoce voracità per il sesso in tutte le sue forme, l'incapacità del giovane Portnoy di inserirsi normalmente in un rapporto di coppia, il tutto urlato sotto forma di invettiva, di lamento appunto, a uno psicanalista che non a segno di ascoltarlo, cosa che sarà palese all'ultima riga del romanzo, sono assolutamente da manuale.
Ho riso tutte le mie lacrime.
I rapporti con la famiglia, la precoce voracità per il sesso in tutte le sue forme, l'incapacità del giovane Portnoy di inserirsi normalmente in un rapporto di coppia, il tutto urlato sotto forma di invettiva, di lamento appunto, a uno psicanalista che non a segno di ascoltarlo, cosa che sarà palese all'ultima riga del romanzo, sono assolutamente da manuale.
Ho riso tutte le mie lacrime.
dianac's review against another edition
5.0
¿Cómo podía sentirme herido en un sitio donde, en principio, no era vulnerable?
Alexander Portnoy es de los personajes más insoportables de la literatura moderna, es ególatra y misógino. Portnoy's Complaint es un libro brillante. Es necesario reconocer esta aparente dicotomía porque esta representa en sí misma el núcleo del libro: los hombres terribles son capaces de trasgredir la ficción y —sobre todo— sufrirla. El desplegarse en el monólogo es una de las maneras en las que Portnoy intenta, de manera cuestionablemente exitosa, superar la fractura identitaria que constituye habitar la masculinidad desde un judaísmo que para el protagonista representa de manera primordial represión. Leer Portnoy's Complaint es reconocerse en la necesidad de desembarazarse de uno mismo para poder resemantizarse en un yo abyecto y sublime.
Alexander Portnoy es de los personajes más insoportables de la literatura moderna, es ególatra y misógino. Portnoy's Complaint es un libro brillante. Es necesario reconocer esta aparente dicotomía porque esta representa en sí misma el núcleo del libro: los hombres terribles son capaces de trasgredir la ficción y —sobre todo— sufrirla. El desplegarse en el monólogo es una de las maneras en las que Portnoy intenta, de manera cuestionablemente exitosa, superar la fractura identitaria que constituye habitar la masculinidad desde un judaísmo que para el protagonista representa de manera primordial represión. Leer Portnoy's Complaint es reconocerse en la necesidad de desembarazarse de uno mismo para poder resemantizarse en un yo abyecto y sublime.