Philip Roth

[brer]

I have never read anything by Philip Roth.

I understand some of his books are in a trilogy or some such thing, with a character who continues through the other books.

Is there a best book, or should I start at the first of the trilogy, and what IS the first book of the trilogy?

If I were to read one book, which should it be?

Thanks

[Wordsgood]

I've never read his work, but wanted to pop in to say Hello Brer. Welcome aboard. Wish I could recommend just one book, but there are so many I would like everyone to read that I can't think of just one! I look forward to chatting on the boards with you though. Cheers.

[Devin Patches]

American Pastoral is good. It's about a character that normally wouldn't be written about; which is to say, it is about an "ideal" American. The protagonist, Seymour "Swede" Levov, is the perfect athlete, business man, and is married to a model and is the envy and pride of his community in Newark, New Jersey. However, his daughter, political activist and extremist, drives him and his perfect life to the edge of sanity.

The time period of the book focuses on the late fifties through the nineties, and it is told by the writer persona of Zuckerman, who went to school with the Swede. Zuckerman is Philip Roth's repeat character in many of his novels, although they are not meant to be sequential. The Zuckerman novels mearly create a character.

Hope that helps!

[Walktherain]

I read Portnoy's Complaint and to be honest I didn't really like it at all. Just not my style, but Roth fans seem to love that one.