Philip Roth has won National Book Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and host of other awards making him one of the most celebrated American authors. He is known for writing about Jewish life from a contemporary perspective whose protagonist are both neurotic, worldly and very driven by sexuality. Roth was very generous to other authors often paying their expenses and supporting the writing of Eastern European authors. His personal life was not so straightforward as he was highly invested in the sexual revolution of the 1960s and did not believe in monogamy. He often several long term relationships going at the same time, including a relationship and eventual marriage to the actress Claire Bloom. Roth seems like a high energy, witty guy who would be great to hang out with as long as you agreed with his agenda.

The reputation of American author, Philip Roth has taken a bit of a battering in recent years. Twenty or so years ago, when I first started reading his books, he was generally being hailed in his old age as one of the great men of American letters, off the back of such critical triumphs as American Pastoral, The Human Stain and The Plot Against America, the last of which seemed to anticipate the shift towards fascism which is occurring under the second presidency of Donald Trump. Since his death in 2018, however, the shift in social attitudes has made some of Roth's works (notably, The Dying Animal) look more questionable than they perhaps did at the time, while Roth's reputation has also been tarnished by allegations which have destroyed the reputation of the man chosen to write his authorised biographer, Blake Bailey.
This new biography, however, helps redress the balance and sheds valuable light on the life and career of one of the late 20th century's most influential American writers.

While, understandably, not as definitive as the referenced Bailey biography on Roth, there are some great personal anecdotes and insights from the author, who's known Roth for a long time. The lengthy quotes from the novels also helped to show the changes in Roth's style as he aged. A good mix of literary history, personal history and funny (and occasionally horrifying) stories. Well worth a read for any new or interested in Philip Roth. Long-time Roth readers will surely read this up as soon as available.

A potting shed next to the skyscraper that was Blake Bailey's earlier, better biography of the subject.

The waspish tone Zipperstein frequently adopts suggests he knows this rather better than most.