johnnyapril 's review for:

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth

5.0

dark reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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      So here we have one of three novels that are based on the premise that Franklin Roosevelt was not elected as President.   In this case, Charles Lindbergh won so he would be the next President in this novel. 

      To me, the book is genuine since I had already read American Midnight by Adam Hochsfield and Awakening the Spirit of America by Paul Sparrow.  

       In Sparrow’s book, we learn about Lindbergh.   He was the leader of the isolationist party and he was determined to fight Roosevelt tooth and nail to get his Republican candidate, Wendell Willkie, to be the next President.

        Lindbergh was very determined to have his candidate win the election.  In fact, he would say that we have a large Jewish population in this country and that we can’t go to war with Hitler over it.   That is why I said this book is worth reading as well.

         Anyway, in Roth’s novel, Lindbergh is the new President and we see the observations of what will happen through the eyes of a child – Philip Roth.   He will watch as his family is torn apart over this.   This would be his entire family that includes his mother, father, and two brothers.   Of course, this will go as far as relatives and friends that take sides.   The only hope is  from Walter Winchell who encourages people to stay the course and everything will be all right.  

          We only know Philip as having a stamp collection since this is the 1940’s.   He does join his family to hear the speeches on the radio with Lindbergh going to Germany to meet with Hitler to keep the peace.   He will even go on a trip with his family which will be unpleasant since there is anti-semitism involved.   Much of the novel is terrifying but if you’re a Stephen King fan, you should get through this.  While the violence can be graphic, Roth doesn’t go to a higher level on this which is okay since this is more of a literary work.

           The story seems to take off from all this as we observe the moments chapter by chapter as things seem to get worse.   Like other novels, there is an ending here.   No spoilers. 

            As far as the real story goes, much of it is in our history and Sparrow’s book.  Roosevelt becomes President and Lindbergh is invited back to serve since he is a great pilot.   Yet there is an interesting fact about Lindbergh that comes through many years later.   He was a Papa of three children in three different families in Germany before WWII.   If you decide to read Sparrow’s book, you can see Lindbergh’s wife in the US stand by her man throughout all this since she was so dedicated.  

             As far as the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese needed the land in Hawaii or they could go bankrupt not to mention all the horrible things that happened in China.   Yet no one believed that the United States of America was capable of fighting a war over 6,000 miles away.  After all, we looked weak and the last thing we wanted was to go to war since we wanted to remain an Isolationist country.