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The Plot Against America
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The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
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I also enjoyed the storyline of this book and I learned quite a bit about attitudes of the time. But, I just did not care for the author's writing at all.This review does, however, remind me that I was to eventually get to season two of The Man in the High Castle. For some reason, this book and that book/show are linked together in my brain...
Nicole R wrote: "I also enjoyed the storyline of this book and I learned quite a bit about attitudes of the time. But, I just did not care for the author's writing at all.This review does, however, remind me that..."
I remember your review well for this book. I couldn't wait until I got to the Fig Newton part since it affected you so. I think we have different responses to Roth's writing. This is the second book I have read by him and I like his writing. Roth seems to be a polarizing author that readers seem to love or hate. My Goodreads friends reviews were all over the map from 1-5.
Oh, the fig newtons! Did you notice how many times they were mentioned!? I haven’t eaten a fig newton since....Yeah, his writing style just wasn’t for me. But I LOVED the premise a lot.
I read this in high school and loved the premise and it really struck me, the idea of alternate histories. It was the first one I read. (not a huge fan as I think they are hard to execute) I didn't love the book and only remember the premise now (very few details). I think I might enjoy and appreciate it much more now. What I remember most is having my school books on the floor with this book on top. A girl walked by and her foot caught the cover of my paperback version. The cover ripped and I was devastated. Almost stopped reading the book for having to look at that cover.
4/5 stars
“Because everybody sees things differently.”
This is a fictionalized version of a real time and place. The year is 1940 and Lindbergh has won the presidency. Roth paints a very vivid picture of what America could have looked like if history was different. Roth puts his own family at the center of the story and displays their experience in this alternate universe. At the root of this story is antisemitism but hatred, bigotry and ignorance rear their ugly heads. I learned quite a bit of history in this story, although I have heard of all these figures before I had no idea the extent of antisemitism in the beliefs of Charles Lindberg and Henry Ford. I had great sympathy for the Roth family and what they were going through. I liked how the book ended especially the postscript A True Chronology of the Major Figures and Other Historical Figures in the Work.
“Though on the morning after the election disbelief prevailed, especially among the pollsters by the day after that everybody seemed to understand everything, and the radio commentators and the news columnists made it sound as if Roosevelt's defeat had been preordained.”
“The terror of the unforeseen is what the science of history hides, turning a disaster into an epic.”
“How can this be happening in America? How can people like these be in charge of our country? If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I'd think I was having a hallucination.”
“There were two types of strong men: those like Uncle Monty and Abe Steinheim, remorseless about their making money, and those like my father, ruthlessly obedient to their idea of fair play.”