danchrist's review against another edition
5.0
Another Roth masterpiece. Looks like I found another favorite writer.
lmrising's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bxlbooks91's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this one. Zuckermann is great character, as is his father and Lonoff. Beautiful prose as always with Roth and just a joy to read.
4*
4*
nomadpenguin's review against another edition
5.0
If there's a book that gets to use the "English professor has affair with student" trope, it's this one.
tgvp's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.0
eshafe41's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Super quick read, not much happens. A lot of old-fashioned thinking about and sexualization of women that wouldn’t fly today. A lot of uncomfortable relationships between older men and younger women. Interesting though, it has an interesting plot, focusing on an older, successful writer as the the main part of the story. Probably won’t read again and I’m not super inclined to read anything more by Phillip Roth after this.
bookhawk's review against another edition
3.0
The Ghost Writer contained great stretches of writing offset by some slow moments and not resolving some central questions posed in this short novel. 3 stars.
eralon's review against another edition
4.0
Very short, very strange book with twists and turns. I read because I've liked everything I've read by Roth and this is the beginning of the Zuckerman series.
signeblake's review against another edition
4.0
“I turn sentences around. That's my life. I write a sentence and then I turn it around. Then I look at it and turn it around again.”
A glowing example of tragicomedy.
Nathan Zuckerman, in an attempt to defend his writings from the critique of his Jewish father, reinvents the sacred image of Anne Frank, projecting her onto newly-acquainted Amy Bellette. He is her ghost-writer.
The story becomes one of remodeling. Of the self, of the other, of the responsibility of the author. Zuckerman’s narration and storytelling become exactly as the cited quote illustrates; attempts to turn sentences around and around in effort to make sense of it all.
Somewhere along the way, we might be lost. Or perhaps we may be found.
A glowing example of tragicomedy.
Nathan Zuckerman, in an attempt to defend his writings from the critique of his Jewish father, reinvents the sacred image of Anne Frank, projecting her onto newly-acquainted Amy Bellette. He is her ghost-writer.
The story becomes one of remodeling. Of the self, of the other, of the responsibility of the author. Zuckerman’s narration and storytelling become exactly as the cited quote illustrates; attempts to turn sentences around and around in effort to make sense of it all.
Somewhere along the way, we might be lost. Or perhaps we may be found.