Zuckerman Unbound
by Philip Roth
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 370)
Read in January, 2008
Earlier this year, Philip Roth published the final chapter in his series about his erstwhile Zuckerman, called "Exit Ghost". Now I would profess to being a big fan of Roth's writing, but I am likewise ignorant of the broader catalog of his work. Wanting to be on the right wavelength, I picked up <i>Zuckerman Unbound<i>, with the intention of following him through the chronology. I haven't quite got there yet, and I don't anticipate completing the rounds any time soon, bu...more
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Read in July, 2008
Artists who write about their fame have always annoyed me, and I can't bring myself to admire Stardust Memories, but this is Philip Roth, and lesser Roth is so much more powerful than lesser Woody Allen. I'm starting to become obsessed and don't want to finish the summer without reading a majority of Roth's pre-nineties work --- I love esp. his seamless ability to digress into hilarious anecdotes without losing the pulse of the narrative and the sense that the paragraphs are coming to his Olive...more
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The second of the Zuckerman books, Zuckerman Unbound was a bit of a let down after The Ghost Writer. ZU isn't nearly as tight structurally, or in form (and the plot doesn't seem as "deliberate" as it does in the first book, tending to meander here and there).
One other--much more trivial--complaint is Roth's habit of praising his own writing in the writing itself. Roth obviously has good reason to be proud, but the self-congratulatory tendency wasn't all that appealing to me as a...more
One other--much more trivial--complaint is Roth's habit of praising his own writing in the writing itself. Roth obviously has good reason to be proud, but the self-congratulatory tendency wasn't all that appealing to me as a...more
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Read in August, 2007
This is the second novel in the Zuckerman tetralogy, and I'm still trying to get a handle on these stories: where is Roth going with these events, this character? Zuckerman Unbound specifically tells the fictionalized story of Roth's own fame post-Portnoy's Complaint - while the entire novel is an object lesson against assumptions of veiled autobiography in fiction, I think it's fair to assume that some of the psychological background we see here is genuine, if not the events. Zuck...more
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Read in January, 2007
i must not be the only one who feels cheated when they read a roth novel, always expecting more because of his super-sized reputation only to find two-dimensional characters, caricatures really, with even more simplistic portrayals of women to accompany his petty whining and shallow revelations. do reviewers not dare criticize how lame it is to pat yourself on the back for a character's attempt at a one-liner? or note that every character delivers speeches in the same voice, without the slight...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommended to James by:
Hannah
This book is hilarious! It's also sad. But what a romp. In it, Roth deals with the worst aspects of celebrity without seeming big-headed. It's usually hard for me to relate to the rich, the famous; but in Zuckerman Unbound Roth lets fly with an insanely imaginative tale of stalkers, Hollywood damsels, family tragedy, threats of--well. . . I don't want to spoil anything.
Doggonit, read this book!!! It is my favorite episode of "Zuckerman Bound."
Doggonit, read this book!!! It is my favorite episode of "Zuckerman Bound."
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
those who like to read about crazy writers
Zuckerman is an awesome character. he is sarcastic and cynical and hates most of humanity, except of course, women. continuing his Zuckerman epic, Roth paints a portrait of the artist in his midthirties dealing with humongous success and the downfalls it can bring to a man who prefers anonymity.
pretty much a hilarious look at celebrity and shallow trendy bastards
pretty much a hilarious look at celebrity and shallow trendy bastards
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I'd bypass this one, unless you plan on making all the stops through Zuckerman country. Pleasantly distracting and mildly annoying in the manner of being held hostage by someone talking your head off about the latest absurd turn in their life. In this case, the now famous novelist, Nathan Zuckerman, dealing with his inability to deal with his new found infamy.
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
people who like satire
Roth, one of the great American satirists, creates here a truly miserable, eccentric main character, and fleshes out his life, world and experiences to great, amusing effect. Less heart-stopping and engaging than his latest effort though (The Plot Against America).
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Read in March, 2008
A good read if you've read other books by roth, especially his zuckerman books, but not the roth book to start with.
It takes a few turns, doesn't have a real plot (though there is nothing wrong with that), but roth's writing is the finest of this generation.
It takes a few turns, doesn't have a real plot (though there is nothing wrong with that), but roth's writing is the finest of this generation.
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Read in July, 2008
Fantastic! Reading Roth's Zuckerman books makes me giddy with delight! And here, we get to meet the Alvin Peppler.
For my complete review:
http://mookse.wordpress.com/20...
For my complete review:
http://mookse.wordpress.com/20...
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Solid book, easygoing read. Roth packs a lot of depth into this book despite the fact that it is such a smooth read. A sign of the author's bountiful talent. Recommended.
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Read in June, 2008
Nathan Zuckerman finally hits it big with his pornographic, Portnoy-esque novel, but he quickly learns that his dream comes with a lot of baggage he isn't prepared for.
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I read Exit Ghost (starting from the back) and thought I would begin at the beginning. My Amazon guys are supposed to be sending it.
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Read in May, 2008
Funnier, more insightful, and far more affecting than its predecessor. Roth's wonderful prose comes second only to his candidness.
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Read in January, 1993
Part of the first Zuckerman trilogy, which is also published as ZUCKERMAN BOUND (the trilogy, plus an epilogue).
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Read in February, 2004
recommends it for:
everyone
my favorite book by my favorite author. period.
best read in the context of the whole zuckerman trilogy.
best read in the context of the whole zuckerman trilogy.
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Read in January, 2008
An excellent book, with humor and pathos. I enjoyed it very much.
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roth is a genius. looks like hes going to be another compulsive buy.
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