THE HUMBLING

by Philip Roth



Now in his 60's, stage sensation Simon Axler's life falls apart when he suddenly and inexplicably loses his ability to act. An unexpected, unconventional relationship with a woman 25 years his junior appears at first to be a chance at a happy new life, until he is painfully reminded that the stage is not the only place where people act.

If you're feeling a little bad about yourself and need a great pick-me-up to return you to starry-eyed optimism, The Humbling is not your book. It can only be considered a light read due to it's novella page count of 140 and Philip Roth's easy-reading style. It's not a depressing book, but it doesn't leave the reader feeling good.

I liked The Humbling because I enjoy Roth's writing in general. He always gives me something to think about when I turn the final pages. I plan to read many more of his books in the coming months. However, if you're looking to explore Roth's work for the first time, I don't recommend starting here. It's worth the short time it takes to read, but for first-timers I would suggest The Plot Against America or American Pastoral.

THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA

by Philip Roth



"What if Charles A. Lindbergh, a noted isolationist and anti-semite, had defeated Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election?

When aviation hero Lindbergh wins on the Republican ticket, fear sweeps across America and into the homes of every Jewish family. In Newark, the Roths wonder what Lindbergh as president will mean to them. Before being elected, he had publicly lambasted the Jews for selfishly championing the war against Nazi Germany -- and now he's agreed to a 'nonaggression' policy with Hitler. Things take an even darker turn when all Jewish American communities are targeted for separation and relocation." (From the CD container)

The Plot Against America made me uneasy, because parts of it reminded me of things that were seen and heard during the last presidential election. If someone believes things like this could not happen in our more enlightened modern society, he or she may have to think again after reading this book.

As seems to be the case with most of Roth's work, the obvious concept is not the only one at work in the novel. The Plot Against America is often less about politics and more about overcoming personal fears, about the dynamics of family and community, about helping those who are in need no matter your own situation. If you've never read Philip Roth, this would be a good place to start.

EVERYMAN

by Philip Roth



"The hero of Everyman is obsessed with mortality. As he reminds himself at one point 'I'm thirty-four! Worry about oblivion when you're seventy-five!' But he cannot help himself. He is the ex-husband in three marriages gone wrong. He is the father of two sons who detest him, despite a daughter who adores him. And as his health worsens, he is the envious brother of a much fitter man." (From the CD container.)

Need a little reminder that you're not going to live forever? I know forty-four isn't old in these modern times, but there are changes that make it clear I'm no longer exactly young. There's more gray in my hair than there was before. I'm noticing deeper lines and thinner skin. Those pounds I put on over winter don't come off as easily as they used to. My knees crackle when I walk down the stairs and it's harder for me to get up when I sit on the floor. More and more often I find myself a little jealous of the skinny little smooth-skinned twenty-somethings shopping at the mall. And I see changes not only in me, but in people around me. Parents and grandparents that I always thought of as unconquerable suddenly limited by health, friends losing hair (Remember -- We came of age in the era of "Hair Bands". This is a big deal to us!), their kids graduating from college, mild depression forming in people close to me who are suddenly realizing they are, in fact, mortal. All in all, it's quite disconcerting, and Everyman captures all the confusion and longing and, eventually, acceptance.

There is a bit too much sexual obsession in this story for me, though I believe that may be because it is told from a man's perspective. I think men are much more likely to tie the worth of their life and relationships to sex than are women. Many of them get past this, but it seems like that's where the fixation begins. I don't mean that to be nasty. It's just an observation regarding one of the many ways in which men and women think differently. And Peter said it was okay for me to write that because it's true. :-)

AMERICAN PASTORAL

by Philip Roth



"Growing up, Seymore has to deal with the violent history of his country's background. Being a laid-back, local sports star and all-around great guy, he is unhappy when the war sweeps him and his family into complete chaos." (From the CD container)

American Pastoral has so many themes running through it that what the reader takes from this book will be highly influenced by what is going on in his or her life at the time it is read. At this moment in time, what I kept thinking about was our celebrity-worshipping society and how we idolize and expect so much from them. Then, when their lives are exposed as less than perfect, or worse, we're nearly giddy with excitement watching their fall from grace in every form of media we can get our sensation-loving paws on.

I'm going to stop there, because I feel a soapbox rant coming on if I continue with that thought. However, that is certainly not all this book as to offer. It forces thoughts about war and caring what happens to people and places far from you. It wants to know who is responsible when a child turns out bad and if we can make other people happy or if true happiness is really only found within ourselves. Not enough to think about? Good. Because there is more. A lot more. This is a thinker's novel, and it will keep you busy with philosophical questions for days.

INDIGNATION

by Philip Roth



Perfect student and model son Marcus Messner leaves his New Jersey home to attend college in Ohio in an effort to escape his over-protective father. All Marcus wants is to study and graduate as class valedictorian, but circumstances conspire to snap all of his good intentions.

I usually have an issue with books that feel like they dwell on teenage sexual obsession and anxiety -- or anyone's sexual obsession and anxiety for that matter. It's just not my thing, and they tend to bore me to tears. Those sections of Indignation did set my mind to wandering, but the book did have more going for it overall, so I was able to get passed my personal prejudice. I ended up enjoying it quite a bit, but it didn't speak to me the way some of my previous reads this year have.

The message that did come through was how a person's inability to compromise can drive them into the arms of the very thing they fear most. It's the old adage, "Pick your battles wisely." Every once in a while our most firm beliefs are challenged in a manner that requires more malleability than we are comfortable with if we are to avoid a worse fate than bending just a little bit. Flexibility is not only good for the body. It's good for the mind and the soul, too.