Philip Roth: Stung by Life

by Steven J. Zipperstein

A landmark biography of one of our most prominent chroniclers of American life
 
In this groundbreaking literary biography, Steven J. Zipperstein captures the complex life and astonishing work of Philip Roth (1933–2018), one of America’s most celebrated writers. Born in Newark, New Jersey—where his short stories and books were often set—Roth wrote with ambition and awareness of what was required to produce great literature. No writer was more dedicated to his craft, even as he was rubbing shoulders with the Kennedys and engaging in a spate of famous and infamous romances. And yet, as much as Roth wrote about sex and self, he viewed himself as socially withdrawn, living much like an “unchaste monk” (his words).
 
Zipperstein explores the unprecedented range of Roth’s work—from “Goodbye, Columbus” and Portnoy’s Complaint to the Pulitzer Prize–winning American Pastoral and The Plot Against America. Drawing on extensive archival materials and over one hundred interviews, including conversations with Roth about his life and work, Zipperstein provides an intimate and insightful look at one of the twentieth century’s most influential writers, placing his work in the context of his obsessions, as well as American Jewishness, freedom, and sexuality.

Genres: Biography Memoir

368 pages, Hardcover

Published October 14, 2025

Reviews

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Philip Roth has won National Book Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and host of other awards making him one of the most celebrated American authors. He is known for writing about Jewish life from a contemporary perspective whose protagonist are both neurotic, worldly and very driven by sexuality. Roth was very generous to other authors often paying their expenses and supporting the writing of Eastern European authors. His personal life was not so straightforward as he was highly invested in the sexual revolution of the 1960s and did not believe in monogamy. He often several long term relationships going at the same time, including a relationship and eventual marriage to the actress Claire Bloom. Roth seems like a high energy, witty guy who would be great to hang out with as long as you agreed with his agenda.

[Maslan's hierarchy of reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zipperstein writes about writers and writing so beautifully. I had never liked biographies before reading his. In his talk, Zipperstein said you read Phillip Roth to understand men, that seems true, and I actually felt grateful to have the door opened for me to see the secret world of boyhood in such plain and honest terms. I have been thinking a lot about freedom recently and in what ways I am trying to get free and from what. One of the narrative through line's in Roth's own push-pull between getting himself free from the confinement of being a good Jewish boy and then feeling the calling to once more confine himself in something that felt safe. Zipperstein addresses these questions of freedom so explicitly and with such little judgement; it made me wonder often what our generation's relationship and conception of freedom is. Now it is time to read some Roth I guess.

[Dan]

Informed and informative. Finally, the biography that Roth deserved.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was excellent. I think he really provides a well balanced analysis of Philip Roth, definitely focussing on his literary career, but also highlighting his issues with his mother and his family, and always chasing the young women.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/boo...

[Richard Jaffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Yale University Press for this advance ARC in return for an unbiased review.

Philip Roth is one of the more decorated American Jewish authors of our time, having won numerous Literary Awards including the Pulitzer Prize despite lamenting upon never winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. After early successes including Goodbye, Columbus and Portnoy's Complaint, Zipperstien paints a portrait of a narcissistic, misogynistic bitter man using his life experiences, and most notably his sexual conquests to inspire his novels. Although he was involved in several long standing relationships, the most prominent with actress and former "beauty queen" Claire Bloom, Roth also carried on numerous extra-marital affairs with acquaintances and even the wives of some of his allegedly close friends.

While trying to tell the tale of the author through some of the auto biographical / inspired by life passages from his many novels ( and non-fiction entries ) Zimmerman gets lost in the translation.

Although the much longer and more comprehensive biography by Blake Bailey ( who immediately suffered a "mee too" scandal ) is often cited, I doubt it was bested by this attempt to explain Roth's place in the literary world, if not his place in the annals of Jewish literature.

The descriptions of Roth's personal conquests, and friendships, all seeming to end in ruin became tedious even as Zipperstein tried to attach meaning and inspiration in their character assignations in Roth's works.

Admittedly I have only read of fraction of Roth's output, I am now less inclined to read some of those novels on my "to read" list given this unflattering portrait.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new biography of Philip Roth, as part of the Jewish Lives series from Yale University Press, benefits immeasurably from its brevity, and from the author's friendship with the subject, and his obvious analytical gifts. Not nearly as lengthy as Blake Bailey's magisterial biography of Roth, which Steven Zipperstein, acknowledges, this book will please any Roth-phile, and perhaps convince the more skeptical what a genius Roth was. He was a giant of 20th century literature (and his several books in the first 10 years of the century should be included as well). Zipperstein interviewed many of Roth's lovers, and friends, and this biography is so much better for it. This biography captures Roth in all his glories but pulls no punches. Highly recommended to all.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this comprehensive and insightful biography of Philip Roth both engaging and illuminating. Zipperstein delves deeply into the work as well as the life, and explores in detail Roth’s relationship with his Jewishness and his obsession, as it seems to me, with women and sex. I certainly didn’t warm to Roth as a character as a result of this biography, and I’m not sure I would have liked him very much, but he’s a key figure in 20th century American literature, and the book has informed my reading of him. This will be a work that I am sure to refer to whenever I read any of his novels in the future.

[Keith Raffel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like his books, Philip Roth’s life was an endless banquet. Capturing the essence of the parents who shaped him, of the friends and lovers he embraced and discarded, of his formidable oeuvre, and of his strengths and faults all in just 300 pages seems a quixotic task. And yet Professor Zipperstein delivers a portrait with more insight into the man, his motives, and his achievements than any previous biographer. Bravo.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A balanced and well-written assessment of the man and the writer. Roth was certainly a complicated person. He was dedicated to his writing and produced some truly great books. Even if aspects of Roth are distasteful to me, that is not going to stop me from reading and rereading some incredible works of literature.

[Oliver Goddard]

A shy corrective, but nevertheless haunted by the spectre of Bailey’s 2021 biography and the resultant fallout. Zipperstein is more interested in the work and its merits, contradictions, force. Roth’s legacy shall remain uncertain but I’ll still continue to read and enjoy and be maddened by his books.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very thorough and with ups and downs of interest.