Book Review – American Pastoral

I recently finished Philip Roth’s American Pastoral. It has been listed as one of the 100 Greatest novels ever written according to time magazine and has won many awards. I am always looking for good novels and I picked this up from the Howard County Library hoping for a great experience. My thought: good, not great. The book itself was entertaining and intelligent, but I think a book has to be more than that to be considered an all-time great. The story line involves an American Family during the upheaval of the Vietnam War. The overarching theme however is more sinister. To me, it seems to say that no matter how hard you try to have the perfect life; it inevitably will turn to chaos and spin out of control. It attacks the suburban “nuclear family” in a not-too subtle way. It intones that basically no matter what appearances may be, that no family is as it seems, and that human instincts cannot sustain that lifestyle. I reject that. And the only reason I can’t reject it with stronger language is because my “nuclear-family” is still young in years. Life is long and things can happen, but I have every intention of writing a stronger response to the book after 50 years of marriage to my wonderful wife Robyn and life with my beautiful children.

Next book I’d like to read: Read this except – crazy ass stuff.