Philip Roth - American Pastoral

Pros: Historical and fictional novel with a mature and tragic voice
Cons: None.

Not many people seem to know about this powerful and profound novel, but Philip Roth's twenty-second book, published in 1997, won the Pulitzer Prize and rightfully so.
So you will trust this review, here is a bit of background. I am a recent...

Pros: the rich glimpse into the lives of the characters
Cons: the slow pace

After reading Roth’s novel “The Human Stain”, I had to wonder how anything Roth wrote could be better than that one. After all, “The Human Stain” did not win the Pulitzer Prize, but “American Pastoral” did. Could this book ...

Pros: wonderfully written, great info about America in the 60's
Cons: could've been maybe 50 pages shorter in my humble opinion

I read American Pastoral not long after my daughter was born and I think that had an affect on how I perceived it. Swede Levov has a great life...he's married to a former Miss New Jersey, has a nice home, wonderful daughter who is the 'apple of his eye.'...

Pros: one of the best books I have ever read
Cons: made me want more of the same, but his other books don't work that way

This book just rocked my world. I had never read anything by Philip Roth before (I had picked up Portnoy's Complaint once but never got anywhere with it), and so I had no idea what to expect. Roth's writing, the story, the historical commentary and...

Pros: The keenest of insights into American culture
Cons: The "Answer" remains unfound.

This is the most though-provoking book I have read in the past few years. As the mother of two small children, I think continually about how to raise them to help them avoid the perils of post-industrial society. Is there anything I can do, as a...