Everyman by Philip Roth (Bennard and K.D.) Start Date: Aug 27, Monday

[Bennard]

A successful commercial artist with a New York ad agency, he is the father of two sons from a first marriage who despise him and a daughter from a second marriage who adores him. He is the beloved brother of a good man whose physical well-being comes to arouse his bitter envy, and he is the lonely ex-husband of three very different women with whom he's made a mess of marriage. In the end he is a man who has become what he does not want to be.

Start Date: August 27, 2012
End Date: September 1, 2012
Reading Plan: 30-ish pages per day

Day 1: pp 1-32
Day 2: pp 32-66
Day 3: pp 66-98
Day 4: pp 98-134
Day 5: pp 134-160
Day 6: pp 160-182

[K.D.]

Day 1

The opening scene is a burial scene of a man who seems to have been loved by the people with him on that day. There are his 3 children of two mothers, his brother who is 77 and yet has not be hospitalized for any reason whoa, idol! and his husband, his colleagues, etc. I think this is my 4th Philip Roth. I read (based on memory) the following a couple of years back: The Human Stain, American Pastoral and Portnoy's Complaint. Roth's prose is clear and concise. His characters are the typical middle-class Americans and some of them could really be quirky. His backdrops are mostly with political, social or religious (he is a Jewish and he likes writing about Jewishness) flavor.

I think this book, based on the first 32 pages will not really be different. I seems like an enjoyable read.

[Bennard]

Day 1

Sorry for the late post! I had to do some stuff.:)

The opening scene hooked me. This is my first Roth book and it looks like I'm going to enjoy my first time. The prose is simple and direct to the point; and the characters are engaging. I liked the scene when the two of the protagonist's sons were burying him and the grief and the anger of the younger son just poured out of him. Very simple yet powerful. And the imagery that Howie, the brother, narrated was very clear and gives us a picture of what the protagonist was like in childhood.

I think this will be a good read.

[K.D.]

Bennard, you are not late.

Day 2

After the funeral is that flashback of the man's life. Compared to his brother Howie, this younger man goes in and out of the hospital. First, the hernia. Then the blocked arteries in the leg. Then, the blocked arteries in the upper part of the body. Howie gives him two nurses and the nurse in the morning, Maureen, becomes his mistress. This nurse throws dirt to his coffin seductively hehe.

The prose is nice to understand. Roth just has a tendency to go around the bush. Repetitive sort of like these hospitalizations, the man's relationship with his kids, etc.

But I am enjoying this.

[Sheila]

Interesting synopsis, Bennard. Kaka-tempt naman bumili. Sorry, eavesdropping: )

[K.D.]

Shiela, marami nito sa NBS North EDSA for P99 last month during the Sale. Up to now yata, those books are still there.

[Sheila]

Thanks for the info, K.D. Will call NBS kung sale pa rin.

[Bennard]

Day 2

This is getting interesting. It seems that the unnamed protagonist is being followed by death through the death of the boy in the hospital during the protagonist's childhood; the death of his parents, especially his father's death and subsequent burial; and his own near-death experiences.

Then there's the unhappiness that is almost a haunting presence in the life of the protagonist. His unfulfilling job, his messy divorces, his sons who hate him, and the divorce of his daughter from an uncaring husband.

However, there's always a ray of light in the form of the protagonist's brother and loving daughter. So all hope is not lost.

I am liking Roth's style. There are similarities with Auster and even Hemingway in their brutal simplicity. I am also enjoying this.

[K.D.]

I wasn't able to read last night. I got fixed on Pentimento, Bolano and Capote hehe. Mamaya siguro. :)

[Bennard]

K.D. wrote: "I wasn't able to read last night. I got fixed on Pentimento, Bolano and Capote hehe. Mamaya siguro. :)"

Hahaha. Okay lang.:)

[K.D.]

Day 3

You are right, Bennard. Only Howie and Nancy seem to be the last two people who care for the narrator.

The series of hospitalizations is depressing for me. I don't want to be like that when I become really old. This is not really an enjoyable read but come to think of it, we will be going there: old, sickly, irritable but hopefully not alone and not unloved.

I think I will be able to finish this tonight because I am done with my 3rd Capote this morning. Then I will concentrate on Metamorphosis and Other Stories. :)

Good morning, son! :)

[Bennard]

Day 3

Good morning, dad!:)

Yes, it is really depressing. The hospitalizations are really numerous and discussed in detail. Good thing his brother and her daughter still loves her.

Then there are the narrator's sons who are the complete opposites of Nancy and Howie. They hate their father so much because of "being human", as the narrator said in one of his trains of thought.

I am always amazed on how you can juggle so many books and yet still understand it completely.:D That is so awesome!

[K.D.]

I brought my book during lunch break. I was able to read 10 or so pages.

I am not sure about understanding completely. Mahina ako sa pangalan ng characters.

Unnamed narrator, 71 yrs old
Howie (older brother)
Randy and Lonny (sons from the first marriage)
Phoebe (2nd wife)
Nancy (Phoebe's daughter)
Maureen (private nurse)
Dr. Smith (narrator's doctor)
Uncle Sammy (his father's brother)
Olive Parrot (night nurse)
Millicent Kramer (a student in his painting class)
Gerard Kramer (Millicent's husband)

Did I miss anyone?

[K.D.]

Day 4

I am done reading! It is nice although it is too sad, dark and except for the last scene with the gravedigger, almost negative. It is similar to "Remains of the Day" because it makes you want to evaluate how you has so far lived your life and how you plan to live the rest of it. However, Roth is preachy. He tells rather than shows. It is also similar to other books na first person narration tapos unnamed at unreliable but I just was not able to relate (that they say is the purpose of having no name for the narrator) because my life and the narrator's life is too far from each other. Isa lang asawa ko. Isa lang ang anak ko at di ako marunong mag-drowing hehe.

I'll write my review this noon.

Thanks, Bennard for another book that we both read and liked! (I hope you liked this too!)

FINIS

Hasta la vista. Until our next book, son! :)

[Bennard]

Day 4

I am also done! The story is indeed sad and dark. I like Roth's prose because there most of his paragraphs are monologues so we do know what the character is experiencing. I don't know but I see similarities with Hemingway's prose especially the emphasis on certain things.

I like it, Dad!:) Thank you for accompanying me to read this. Nageenjoy talaga ako sa mga buddy reads natin. Dami ko natututunan.:))

Till next time!

[K.D.]

You're welcome, Bennard.

2 Hemingway pa lang ako eh. Iba ang style nya compared with Philip Roth. Si Philip Roth more on family drama coupled with religion (Jewish) at politics.

Si Hemingway, mas mahusay magsulat. May style syang kakaiba. Minimalist yet matindi ang impact. Gusto kong basahing next niya ay "For Whom the Bells Toll." Kung gusto mo, buddy read tayo nun? Then pahiramin kita ng DVD.

[Bennard]

Napapansin ko lang kasi na mejo parehas sila simple at wordy. Pero mas may impact nga yung kay Hemingway, syempre.:)

Sige! Nabasa ko na siya dati pero high school pa kaya gusto ko ireread.:) Pero wag muna ata ngayon. Andami ko pang babasahin.

[K.D.]

Okay. Di pa rin ako in the mood for another Hemingway.