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A review by alex_ellermann
American Pastoral by Philip Roth
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
'American Pastoral' is a masterpiece. It's one of the best books I've read so far this year.
The novel's protagonist is Seymour "Swede" Levov. In his youth, he's a handsome, gifted athlete who marries a beauty queen. In his maturity, he's a successful manufacturer. In his heart, he's devastated - a shell.
What happened to Swede? How does his journey reflect that of Postwar America, Postwar American Judaism, and even Postwar Newark? What does his journey mean for us?
All this is interesting, even devastating. But it's not what makes 'American Pastoral' a masterpiece. Any number of writers have tackled personal devastation, only to create misery porn. 'American Pastoral' stands out due to author Philip Roth's depiction of the inner monologue, the true self, the fully alive world within us all. Swede, his family, and novelist Nathan Zuckerman, a family friend and Roth stand-in.
Roth's triumph here isn't the plot of 'American Pastoral.' It's using fiction to tell a story of the great, yawning need within us all: the need to be seen, understood, accepted, loved, in all the multitudinous glory of our inner selves. C.S. Lewis called this the "God-shaped hole" at the center of our beings. Roth's triumph lies in giving us a sense of the swirling want that can overtake us when that hole is never filled.
This is heavy stuff. But's so insightful, so well-written, that it's worth the time and effort you'll put into it. If you read 'American Pastoral' today, you'll be thinking about it for months to come. I know I will.
The novel's protagonist is Seymour "Swede" Levov. In his youth, he's a handsome, gifted athlete who marries a beauty queen. In his maturity, he's a successful manufacturer. In his heart, he's devastated - a shell.
What happened to Swede? How does his journey reflect that of Postwar America, Postwar American Judaism, and even Postwar Newark? What does his journey mean for us?
All this is interesting, even devastating. But it's not what makes 'American Pastoral' a masterpiece. Any number of writers have tackled personal devastation, only to create misery porn. 'American Pastoral' stands out due to author Philip Roth's depiction of the inner monologue, the true self, the fully alive world within us all. Swede, his family, and novelist Nathan Zuckerman, a family friend and Roth stand-in.
Roth's triumph here isn't the plot of 'American Pastoral.' It's using fiction to tell a story of the great, yawning need within us all: the need to be seen, understood, accepted, loved, in all the multitudinous glory of our inner selves. C.S. Lewis called this the "God-shaped hole" at the center of our beings. Roth's triumph lies in giving us a sense of the swirling want that can overtake us when that hole is never filled.
This is heavy stuff. But's so insightful, so well-written, that it's worth the time and effort you'll put into it. If you read 'American Pastoral' today, you'll be thinking about it for months to come. I know I will.