Monday, December 29, 2008

Indignation


I haven't read as much as I would have wanted to this year, especially in light of the dissolution of a book club to which I belonged.

However, I recently picked up Philip Roth's most recent novel Indignation, which I zipped through in less than two days.

I strongly recommend it.

Despite being 230 pages, the smaller size of the book stretches it out from a novella to a novel.

Roth is a gifted storyteller and, his haunting tale of a young Jewish man coming of age in the middle of the 20th century is certainly memorable.

Not to mention the plot element that emerges 60 pages in that causes the narrative to be seen from a whole new perspective.

I strongly recommend this tale that reminds us, repeatedly, that the smallest of decisions can have momentous effects.

***

Read Michiko Kakutani's review (spoiler alert) in The New York Times here.






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