Post by marshamae on Jun 13, 2017 21:39:04 GMT
A lot of critics think he's over rated, failed to deliver the work predicted by his promising early work.
I still like his early stuff, although Portnoy is even harder t sit through than it was on first reading. Back in the late 60's it had Tge advantage of being cutting edge, now it just seems obsessive. Also the theme of Jewish make fascination with shikses doesn't seem as compelling as it did when the entire literary world in New York was Jewish and Italian with a few Southerners. Portnoy's obsession in the era of Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe resonated more.
The Zuckerman novels appeal to me fir their cleverness a fatal attraction for me. But Roth is a writer whose new work I never mis.
I still like his early stuff, although Portnoy is even harder t sit through than it was on first reading. Back in the late 60's it had Tge advantage of being cutting edge, now it just seems obsessive. Also the theme of Jewish make fascination with shikses doesn't seem as compelling as it did when the entire literary world in New York was Jewish and Italian with a few Southerners. Portnoy's obsession in the era of Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe resonated more.
The Zuckerman novels appeal to me fir their cleverness a fatal attraction for me. But Roth is a writer whose new work I never mis.