Reviews
"The Ghost Writer" when stripped bare is the same type of story as "The Lesson of the Master" where a young brilliant writer meets the older established "master" who inspired him to write in the first place. In the process of being disillusioned with his role model, he grows as a person and finds love. What makes "The Ghost Writer" different is Philip Roth's unique mixture of autobiography and alternative history. This novella introduces Roth's alter ego: Nathan Zuckerman, a character who returns in further Roth stories. Zuckerman, the novice writer here, spends a night at his mentor's house and meets a young woman named Amy who claims to be Anne Frank. Meanwhile, Zuckerman struggles with the demands of writing the great American story and the great Jewish story. Advice givers tell him that the two are mutually incompatible and his mentor offers no help beyond telling him to "turn words" around. While Zuckerman explores his options as a writer, his first person narrative hits on many of the cliches he's told to avoid: arguments over money, extra marital affairs, and so forth.
This is the Roth of Goodbye, Columbus more than Portnoy's Complaint, which I personally have no problem with. Basically Nathan Zuckerman visits his idol, E.I. Lonoff, in Massachusetts and finds that the genius had a terrible marriage and, although it's never explicitly named (probably because it wasn't a diagnosis at time), some OCPD. There's a weird post-modernist bit in the middle about Lonoff's houseguest and possible mistress. Overall pretty good.
Okay, I'm hooked... gotta read all the Zuckerman novels now! I can't believe I hadn't read this yet.
I can't keep rating books with stars. Sure, this is not Anna Karenina, but it is one of the best books I've ever read. Here we meet Nathan Zuckerman, Roth's alter ego, when he's in his early 20s. A young Jewish writer who has offended his family with his writings, Zuckerman heads off to meet his literary hero, E. I. Lonoff. This book is hilarious. And it makes you feel a bit guilty because in many ways it shouldn't be. Thankfully it is, though, because it is not only fun but also important to see what has become of these people. I highly recommend it! You can read my complete review at my blog, The Mookse and the Gripes.
