A review by josephks
Philip Roth: The Biography by Blake Bailey

4.0

I've read and enjoyed Blake Bailey's other literary biographies (Cheever, Yates) and so was eagerly awaiting this book when the 'scandal' broke around it and the book was 'withdrawn.' Press reports said Norton withdrew the book and 'pulped' the existing copies. This is certainly not true as copies of the book, with Norton's imprint, are now readily available. I've also enjoyed many of Roth's many books, queazy as they sometimes made me. He has always struck me as a very odd combination of an extraordinarily talented mature writer of fiction and a sexually enthusiastic seventeen year old boy. Certainly he was no stranger to controversy during his lifetime. The only kind of censorship that seems appropriate for any writer is the absence of readers. Don't like the themes of the book or attitudes of the writer? Don't read it then.
I read this lengthy book and was impressed by the book itself. It did not make me love Philip Roth (though it did make me want to read more of his works) and it did not make me love Blake Bailey. But I did respect both of them for their talents and achievements. Should Blake Bailey have been shunned because of the accusations against him? They are, after all, so far, just allegations, though worthy of investigation. Should his books have been shunned? (No!)