Americal Pastoral by Philip Roth

[mmack]

It's my March modern classic. I found the first section a bit slow but it got much, much better as it went on. I'm 50 pages from the end now and wondering if anyone else has read it and would like to discuss it?

I really liked it but read it several years ago so might not be much help.
I read his most recent book Nemesis and also Zuckerman Bound, Sabbath Theater and The Human Stain. From memory, I liked AP a best.

I love this book! I almost gave up initially but it suddenly takes off after around 100 pages. It's virtuoso story telling after that. I need to re-read it.

Apologies for the mistake that I've just seen in the thread title - it is obviously AmericaN Pastoral.

I read it and admired it but struggled to love it. I loved the early chapters, especially the huge Rothian fugue about the glove factory, but I guess I found Merry's story and her degradation deeply disturbing. I also felt that in many cases the characters could not know each other's hearts because they had no real wish to.

I really love The Plot Against America, Nemesis and [retro] Portnoy's Complaint, with which I massively pissed off my book club

i also read this a few years ago now- A P and the Plot against America are both bloody briiliant. Roth is such an amazing writer. saying that I never warmed to the Human Stain which I read after these two. I must reread them- v hard to find time these days unfortunately. thanks for reminding me of the brilliant American Pastoral though.