The Dying Animal
by Philip Roth
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Read in December, 2007
Profundo estudio de la relación entre deseo y senectud, no es de lo mejor de Philip Roth mas no por eso deja de ser recomendable. Novelita corta que se lee de una sentada, está plagada de reflexiones sobre la animalidad del deseo y el omnipresente temor a la muerte. Además, es imposible no conmoverse ante el destino de Consuelo Castillo.
Lo único que me parece fuera de lugar son sus comentarios sobre Fidel Castro y la Revolución Cubana, pequeño pecado que podemos pasar por alto ante la i...more
Lo único que me parece fuera de lugar son sus comentarios sobre Fidel Castro y la Revolución Cubana, pequeño pecado que podemos pasar por alto ante la i...more
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Read in October, 2003
Scanning this book as my other half poured over it with disarming fascination, I had to peek into what had so mesmerized him. After all, I hadn't read a Roth novel since my early 20's, already at that young age having determined that there was nothing here but adolescent angst. And this dying animal? Ah, but I had been right to not bother all these years and with all the in between novels. The story was quite the same one. This time the difference was only one of age. A Roth version of Lolita, a...more
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recommends it for:
I don't recommend this to anyone.
I did my best to like this book especially since I not too long ago read Roth's The Breast, which featured David Kepesh as well, and fell in love with it--no, I didn't fall in love with the book because it's about a 150 pound boob, but because it was well written, realistically portrayed, or as realistically portrayed as such a topic can be portrayed. This book, on the other hand, showed me that, and I know that this might be a premature generalization seeing that I've only read two of Mr. Roth...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
recommends it for:
people who like screwed up love stories
this is a royally screwed up yet old-fashioned love story, like moravia's boredom. both are about pretentious little men who overestimate their importance to the people they know and the world in general. they end up going crazy during an affair with a young woman with huge breasts that starts off as casual but soon, through jealousy and stupidity, turns into something much worse.
how the dying animal improves on boredom is that the end the story is taken over by the you...more
how the dying animal improves on boredom is that the end the story is taken over by the you...more
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Read in October, 2008
recommends it for:
Snobs who want to say they've read Roth
Ok, sort of read it. Got about 30 pages in and could not go any further.
I don't understand why Philip Roth is so popular. He's even been considered for Nobel a few times. Huh?
The most pervasive question I asked myself during the first and very tediously self-righteous 30 pages was whether or not Roth believes himself to be the heir-apparent to Norman Mailer, a comparison I've heard in passing. The primary problem being with that lofty simile is that talking about sex, your prostrate penis a...more
I don't understand why Philip Roth is so popular. He's even been considered for Nobel a few times. Huh?
The most pervasive question I asked myself during the first and very tediously self-righteous 30 pages was whether or not Roth believes himself to be the heir-apparent to Norman Mailer, a comparison I've heard in passing. The primary problem being with that lofty simile is that talking about sex, your prostrate penis a...more
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Read in August, 2008
A quick read - moments of profound insight balanced with twinges of raw intensity. I was at once repulsed and completely absorbed at the same time.
A great moment from the text:
"...how else can you hold a young woman at my age? What am I able to offer instead in this milk-and-honey society of free-market sex? And so, that's when the pornography begins. The pornography of jealousy. The pornography of one's own destruction. I am rapt, I am enthralled, and yet I am enthralled outside ...more
A great moment from the text:
"...how else can you hold a young woman at my age? What am I able to offer instead in this milk-and-honey society of free-market sex? And so, that's when the pornography begins. The pornography of jealousy. The pornography of one's own destruction. I am rapt, I am enthralled, and yet I am enthralled outside ...more
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I once read a review of a Philip Roth novel that went something like: "Philip Roth wrote a good book once - when he wasn't thinking about his cock." This wasn't that book, as Mr. Roth's John Thomas seems to be on his mind on every page. That being said, I have not read anything else by him and therefore can't judge whether is is one of his best or worst works, or more of the same.
The plot, in brief is this: Aging college professor becomes obsessed with student's massive jugs, the...more
The plot, in brief is this: Aging college professor becomes obsessed with student's massive jugs, the...more
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I read this this book a while back and didn't like it very much even though it was praised by the NY Review of Books, a highly intellectual and literary journal, as a "small, disturbing masterpiece." Looking back, it's actually quite a wonderful work of fiction; I guess the reason I couldn't appreciate it in the first place was simply due to my own ignorance. The novel, as was the case in some of Roth's previous works--the Human Stain for instance--was preoccupied with the sexual life...more
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Philip Roth is a sexist pig. Who can argue about that? When he drags his mind off his wilting member for a week or so he produces Operation Shylock which is a minor masterpiece. But that was just a vacation. For years now he just rewrites the same story where some old geezer (himself) fantasises about shagging some young bird and then - just like life - gets to shag her. Bah. What a pig.
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
Anyone
This slim volume is the last in the trilogy about David Kepesh, from The Professor of Desire and the Breast. I read the Breast, and I did not like it. This book, however, is fabulous. The story, with its themes of sex and mortality, has stuck with me. David Kepesh is older here, and begins his usual yearly affair with a hispanic woman. Normally rather detached, he becomes obsessed with her.
I went to a massage therapist once, who believed that to change oneself, one could attempt chang...more
I went to a massage therapist once, who believed that to change oneself, one could attempt chang...more
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Read in September, 2008
Why would I care for an aging semi-famous professor with a habit of having affairs with his students and quite elegantly defends his actions? Because this book is about a man who has never known what love is and is struggling to understand the overwhelming feelings he finds himself experiencing when he seduces a new student. This book is sexy and bold and heartfelt and thoughtful. A man who thinks he is solitary finds out how much he actually needs to connect- and when he does he thinks that it...more
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I was assigned this book for a class and read it rather quickly; however, I found the main character extremely off-putting. Flatly sexual, I had a hard time embracing the "protagonist" as anything other than aging, lonely... and irksome. The surprise at the end was far from surprising. To say that I found this novella's contemplation on mortality and aging lackluster would be an understatement. Perhaps this book just wasn't for me.
That said, I am curious to read more Roth. His writ...more
That said, I am curious to read more Roth. His writ...more
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Read in September, 2008
Roth certainly pushes the envelope with this extremely graphic portrayal of a culture critics tribulations having matured during the sexual revolution. Told as a reflection looking back at age 70, David Kepesh focuses on his sexual obsession with former student Consuela Castillo. Despite the brevity, Roth manages a pretty sound critic over a 1950s sexually ignorant culture which gave rise to the sexual revolution of the 1960s.
Read this book for the overall criticism of 20th century America. ...more
Read this book for the overall criticism of 20th century America. ...more
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Read in March, 2007
This is the first book of Roth I read. I really loved it. Like I loved "Au delà de cette limite votre ticket n'est plus valable' by Romain Gary. These stories of old men, tough lovers, mean mens, but honest with themselves and with women, who find love with a young person totally idealized by them. And then they know, they suffer and I like how are described "les chagrins d'amour" of these mens. I have the feeling, reading books like these, that mens know what is "un chagrin...more
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Read in June, 2008
I appreciate its simplicity of purpose, its economical use of language, and its brevity. This is not a book that outstays its welcome. It is a modest work, though the cover of my copy calls it "a disturbing masterpiece." I'm not so sure about that. Neither "disturbing" nor a "masterpiece," it is nonetheless an entertaining read.
Being my first Philip Roth novel, it's possible I chose poorly. The reason for my selection was its availability at a used books store ...more
Being my first Philip Roth novel, it's possible I chose poorly. The reason for my selection was its availability at a used books store ...more
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i think i hated this book. i don't exactly know why. roth is a good writer, and the book was easy to read. but this novel was mostly about a girl's tits. specifically, the tits of a woman that was the main character's student. nothing wrong with artistic obsession with feminine beauty, but it all felt too dirty-man-ish to make the ending (SPOILER COMING) where she loses one of her tits to breast cancer very interesting.
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Read in September, 2008
I saw the movie "Elegy", which is based on this book, and the film was pretty good, so I started reading to see the differences if any.
After having read the book, I must say I am spoiled by books with chapters; this book is continuous with no chapter pauses, so I probably didn't catch everything.
Having said that, I found little difference between the movie and book, although I thought the movie was much better.
After having read the book, I must say I am spoiled by books with chapters; this book is continuous with no chapter pauses, so I probably didn't catch everything.
Having said that, I found little difference between the movie and book, although I thought the movie was much better.
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Read in August, 2008
recommended to Dave by:
lori perlman
Philip Roth is the Jewish intellectual version of Bukowski: it's all about s-e-x. This was a quick read touring you through his life as a college professor sexing up all the co-eds falling painfully for one hot mama in particular. His writing style in the book is unpretentious and easy to read, while emotively telling the story of what it's like to be an aging playboy in the 21st Century.
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Read in April, 2007
recommends it for:
sandra
this is a really great read,,,,,its short.....and not sweet...
this old guy goes ga ga over this hot latina......she rox his world....chaos unsues....duh
i heard hollywood wants 2 make this in 2 a film...and the lead female character 2 b played by penelope cruz......hmh......i dont think shes a good fit.....
most women think this book sux.....most men think its great.....who knew!!
this old guy goes ga ga over this hot latina......she rox his world....chaos unsues....duh
i heard hollywood wants 2 make this in 2 a film...and the lead female character 2 b played by penelope cruz......hmh......i dont think shes a good fit.....
most women think this book sux.....most men think its great.....who knew!!
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This was okay. Roth has maybe the most brilliant, funny, distinctive voice of any writer I can think of living or dead--and of course that voice is in here, but I think he just kinda tossed this one off. The volume of the misogyny is defeaning at times, and David Kepesh's narration doesn't have Portnoy's pitiful self-abasement to take off the bitter edge. Sorry, this is B-list Roth.
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