Anybody planning to read THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA?

[ghost of miles]

I've been intrigued by this book ever since I first heard about its storyline a few months back. Roth has written a "what-if" novel of 1940s America that posits Charles Lindbergh running as a Republican and defeating FDR in the 1940 election. (According to Roth, a storyline inspired by a throwaway line in a recent Arthur Schlesinger memoir--evidently there were some in the GOP who wanted to nominate Lindbergh for the '40 race.) My reading of Roth has been pretty sporadic--GOODBYE, COLUMBUS and THE COUNTERLIFE are the only two I've read, in addition to the hilarious satire OUR GANG (which just came up in conversation with a buddy earlier today--we were concocting a contemporary political satire, and I suddenly realized that my inspiration was coming, in part, from Roth's 1972 take on the Nixon administration).

The Plot Against America

[jlhoots]

Roth is one of our greatest writers.

The Human Stain, I Married A Communist & many others are well worth your time.

I haven't read the new one yet, but I will.

[Alexander]

If you only read one Roth novel, you MUST read "Portnoy's Complaint!" Filthy fun!

"The Human Stain" is great, too. I'll probably look into this one.

[Harold_Z]

If you only read one Roth novel, you MUST read "Portnoy's Complaint!"  Filthy fun!

I should reread it. I seem to remember something about liver and a glass.

The Plot sounds good. I wasn't aware of it until this thread. I think I'll check it out.

Edited September 26, 2004 by Harold_Z

[Larry Kart]

IMO "Sabbath's Theater" was the last really topnotch Roth novel -- again IMO both "American Pastoral" and "I Married a Communist" stumbled as fiction (I almost typed "faction," which may be what I meant) over the irreducible and more or less intractable (at least by Roth) elements of the commonly experienced and thoroughly chewed over political/social past that he worked into those and that didn't match up that well with the beings he created to re-enact those dramas and/or walk through those landscapes. I'll still give "The Plot Against America" a shot -- the alternate world setup may free and invigorate him.

[Jazzmoose]

No.

[Brownian Motion]

Here's an interesting Frank Rich column on Roth's book.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/23/arts/23Rich.html?8hpib

[Leeway]

Roth is one of the great modern American novelists. At this point in his career, he seems to be writing with unfettered liberty and audacity, like a power hitter given the OK to swing for the fences. He might whiff, but you have to like the swing and style of his effort-- and when he connects, there are none better.

Among recent work, "American Pastoral," must be considered a great novel. "The Human Stain" is flawed but has powerful moments. Of course, one should read "Portnoy's Complaint," and then, if you want more, the Zuckerman trilogy.