Reviews

The American Trilogy: American Pastoral / I Married a Communist / The Human Stain by Philip Roth

habeasopus's review against another edition

4.0

Phillip Roth deserves his place as one of the best American writers of all time. This collection of mid-later work is far less playful but more polished than Portnoy’s Complaint or The Breast, both of which are outstanding. The Human Stain is my favorite of the three. I have rarely read a scene more humorous, dramatic, and insightful than that of Delphine Roux’s ill fated attempt to compose a personal ad. This is Roth at his finest.

One habit irks me though. I really don’t care for the device of the first person authorial narrator. I have not read the Zuckerman novels, so perhaps that would lend a greater appreciation. As of now though, it just seems a little weak.

darby3's review against another edition

5.0

I blogged a bit here: http://tdaoc.org/2018/01/14/2018-002-the-human-stain-philip-roth/

darwin8u's review against another edition

5.0

“Writing turns you into somebody who's always wrong. The illusion that you may get it right someday is the perversity that draws you on.”
― Philip Roth, American Pastoral



Volume 7: The American Trilogy 1997–2000 or Library of America's N° 220 is perhaps the most perfect book in the Complete Philip Roth Collection (nine volumes). It contains the following three novels:

1. American Pastoral (read Jun 3, 2011)
2. I Married a Communist (read Apr 7, 2011)
3. The Human Stain (read May 6, 2013)