thepackham's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lmrising's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sara_machado's review against another edition
3.0
“Whenever she takes her pictures of these palazzos and piazzas and churches and fountains I wander off aways, but always looking back to get a picture of her and her unadorned beauty.”
This book is somewhat difficult for me to rate. It is exceptionally well written, as expected as Philip Roth is considered one of the greatest American writers. However, I don’t think I liked as much as I expected and I wouldn’t recommend it to most of my friends.
The story is written in 4 chapters and follows the life of David Kepesh, in different stages of his life and feelings. It chapter is dominated by different emotions and the impact of his desires on them. I especially enjoyed the last 2 chapters as they created more layers to David personality.
David Kepesh exists in a state of constant discontent. He oscillates between feelings of guilt, shame, frustration, loneliness and between the desire to live freely all parts of his sexuality and of being loved and cared for.
“I am ready to think it is something about me that makes for the sadness; about how I have always failed to be what people want or expect; how I never quite pleased anyone, including myself; how, hard as I have tried, I have seemed never quite able to be one thing or the other, and probably never will be…”
I believe this book is of greater interest to anyone who has studied, or has more knowledge, of literature as it has many references to Chekov and Kafka which, unfortunately, I don't have enough knowledge to theorise their impact on the character.
“We are born innocent, we suffer terrible disillusionment before we can gain knowledge, and then we fear death - and we are granted only fragmentary happiness to offset the pain.
This book is somewhat difficult for me to rate. It is exceptionally well written, as expected as Philip Roth is considered one of the greatest American writers. However, I don’t think I liked as much as I expected and I wouldn’t recommend it to most of my friends.
The story is written in 4 chapters and follows the life of David Kepesh, in different stages of his life and feelings. It chapter is dominated by different emotions and the impact of his desires on them. I especially enjoyed the last 2 chapters as they created more layers to David personality.
David Kepesh exists in a state of constant discontent. He oscillates between feelings of guilt, shame, frustration, loneliness and between the desire to live freely all parts of his sexuality and of being loved and cared for.
“I am ready to think it is something about me that makes for the sadness; about how I have always failed to be what people want or expect; how I never quite pleased anyone, including myself; how, hard as I have tried, I have seemed never quite able to be one thing or the other, and probably never will be…”
I believe this book is of greater interest to anyone who has studied, or has more knowledge, of literature as it has many references to Chekov and Kafka which, unfortunately, I don't have enough knowledge to theorise their impact on the character.
“We are born innocent, we suffer terrible disillusionment before we can gain knowledge, and then we fear death - and we are granted only fragmentary happiness to offset the pain.
victorward's review against another edition
5.0
Nothing much happens in this book, pretty depressing.
Still one of my favorite by Philip, still broke my heart for the 3rd time, 10/10 would recommend.
Still one of my favorite by Philip, still broke my heart for the 3rd time, 10/10 would recommend.
andrewspink's review against another edition
3.0
In the months before his recent death, I kept reading about Philp Roth, with even Salman Rushdie describing him as his literary hero. So I felt I really ought to read something by him and chose a book at random, by which I mean price. This was maybe a mistake. The Professor of Desire is indeed well written, but the subject is a little odd; closer to the title that I had bargained for. That meant that I struggled through the first half and only began to enjoy it towards the end. Nevertheless, there was enough about it that I got the idea that I ought to try one of his more well-known books.
gwimo's review against another edition
5.0
Years past since I last ventured into the world of Professor Kepesh - though I had watched Elegy, the adaptation of the novel The Dying Animal - before I picked up The Professor of Desire. I had my attempts in the past with reading the book, but nothing came out of it. I just returned into the shelf it lived for the past years. Just last week, however, I decided that the season was right and I was in the mood for a little desire of my own. I quickly got myself into it, losing myself in Roth's magic.
Philip Roth is a genius. How he manages on creating such "banal" characters who have more than banal lives is beyond me. In the novel, Kepesh returns to his childhood, mapping his sexual origins from a crude Herbie Bratasky to a wild and crazy gal in Europe to his estranged wife and finally landing on the possible love of his live, Claire. It's a semi-different Kepesh from Animal and Breast. Nevertheless, he still has the same fears, the same desires and the same thoughts streaming through his mind.
However, it makes sense that he seems more down to earth in the sexual world in his latter days in the novel, simply because these are possibly pre-The Breast memories and narration and obviously pre-The Dying Animal Kepesh. Nevertheless, it's still an enjoyable read, worth of more praise that I am giving it, but this laptop I'm on isn't letting me express myself further - it's a loaner.
Philip Roth is a genius. How he manages on creating such "banal" characters who have more than banal lives is beyond me. In the novel, Kepesh returns to his childhood, mapping his sexual origins from a crude Herbie Bratasky to a wild and crazy gal in Europe to his estranged wife and finally landing on the possible love of his live, Claire. It's a semi-different Kepesh from Animal and Breast. Nevertheless, he still has the same fears, the same desires and the same thoughts streaming through his mind.
However, it makes sense that he seems more down to earth in the sexual world in his latter days in the novel, simply because these are possibly pre-The Breast memories and narration and obviously pre-The Dying Animal Kepesh. Nevertheless, it's still an enjoyable read, worth of more praise that I am giving it, but this laptop I'm on isn't letting me express myself further - it's a loaner.
nikkigee81's review against another edition
2.0
Not quite sure how I feel about this one yet. This happens often when I read Roth's work; I have to let it sink in for a few days.
readbyrodkelly's review
5.0
Prose so lush and sumptuous and generous that it nearly brought tears to my eyes. Simply stunning.
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