AMERICAN PASTORAL

by Philip Roth
 
I found it funny how many people, when they saw the cover of American Pastoral over the weeks that I was reading it, stopped me and said, ‘Oh, that is one of my favorite books!’ It sparked a great conversation about other Roth books with my mom, in which I realized I have only read one other,Indignation.
 
I found myself completely sucked in by his writing style, which seems to hardly draw breath.  There was one sentence that literally went on for an entire page, and yet rather than being tedious or hard to follow, I found it just made me read faster and faster. He is also a complete master at getting the reader inside his characters’ heads.
 
I found the story held my interest in waves, with points when I wished something would develop. But the basic plot about a father dealing with the tragedy his teenage daughter creates is compelling.  There is some mystery to keep the reader guessing and plenty of interesting observations about American culture from post-WWII past the Vietnam War.
 
I definitely would not put this among my favorite books, but I am certainly interested in reading more Philip Roth. (Lily)