It seems this story has polarized readers. Some love it, while others intensely dislike the book. I fall into the latter camp. I thought I was really going to like it initially, but then the story went way over the top into unbelievability for me. I found myself disliking it more and more as the pages progressed. It’s really almost impossible to speak about the issues I had with the book without giving away some huge spoilers, but I will give you a taste of what it’s about.
Holland and Pearlie Cook are childhood sweethearts with a son and a dog that doesn’t bark. Everything is going along fine until one day Buzz, a man from Holland’s past, shows up at the door and changes everything. Set in the 50′s and San Francisco.
Everyman could have been a good book. If only. . . Had he not. . . I will get to those details later.
The book traces a 70-something man’s history of his health problems, his three marriages, and his affairs. After doing some research on Roth, I wondered if it is a bit autobiographical. At the end of the novel, he regrets his life. His sons and his ex-wives hate him, and he doesn’t get to spend time with the one person he does love, his daughter Nancy. He is even jealous of his brother’s good health and stops calling him–a brother who has always been there for him. There are lessons to be learned from the novel, sure, but here is my objection to it.
He could have written this novel without the graphic s * x scenes. It really does border on p * r n. How such a le wd book could be awarded the PEN/Faulkner is beyond me. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
An NPR interview with Philip Roth about the book Everyman is here.
booklogged – March 21, 2007
Thanks for the warning. I’ll skip this one.
Wendy – March 21, 2007
I’ve never read Roth…and I’m reluctant to because he doesn’t sound like the type of writer I’d like to read. This to me sounds a bit self-absorbed. I’ll skip it! Thanks for the review!
raidergirl3 – March 25, 2007
I read Roth’s The Human Stain last year, and it made my most hated books. I finished it, barely, but found it boring, I hated the characters, couldn’t find anythng likeable about the plot,characters or writing. There was a movie with Anthony Hopkins, so I knew the gist of the story, and that didn’t help at all. Now that I’ve read your review of another of his books: Blech on Roth!
"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? (1 Peter 3:12-13, ESV)
It seems this story has polarized readers. Some love it, while others intensely dislike the book. I fall into the latter camp. I thought I was really going to like it initially, but then the story went way over the top into unbelievability for me. I found myself disliking it more and more as the pages progressed. It’s really almost impossible to speak about the issues I had with the book without giving away some huge spoilers, but I will give you a taste of what it’s about.
