philip

this here is the book i'm reading now. mr roth is among my favorite authors; "the human stain" was such an amazing book. (the film was only okay; anthony hopkins was good, but kara thinks nicole kidman was woefully miscast, and i don't disagree, though i quite like ed harris and gary sinise.)

i wasn't that keen on "american pastoral," but maybe that's just me. the writing was wonderful but the story didn't grab me. he's also got a novel called "the breast," which i think is about a person who turns into an enormous breast, and i'm perhaps a bit skeptical about that. sort of a sexist take on kafka's "metaphorphosis"? i haven't read it but i have a copy around here somewhere. i'll probably try it out one of these days.

but this here book, "the plot against america," if you don't know, is a what-if yarn. what if charles lindbergh had run for president against fdr in 1940 and won? he runs on the platform of vote for lindbergh or vote for war, as fdr is leaning toward sending american troops to europe to stem the swelling nazi tide. after young and handsome lindbergh wins, on his campaign of peace, he visits with hitler and others and signs treaties and becomes something of an honorary nazi himself. this is just the backdrop. the story focuses on a working-class jewish family in a newark neighborhood who by and large are appalled by lindbergh and the direction this country is taking. i can't help but relate what i'm reading here to the current political situation, as far as liberties being taken by those in power, etc. (though it's entirely possible i'm looking too hard for correlations). the subtle ways in which the government subtly but systematically appears to be destroying the jewish population in america are a horrorshow. it's a terrific and terrifying story. and dang, but that philip roth can write! he is very, very good.

highly recommended. i'm just over halfway through this book, and i'm extremely impressed.