The Plot Against America

[Maggie]

“The Plot Against America” by Philip Roth is a political historical fiction which revolves around the idea of: What if the United States did not participate in World War II? I was gravitated to this book because of the interesting premise and how Roth would approach the subject. But once I started reading I realized that the premise may have been too big for the book. World War II had a ton of moving parts to it, and “The Plot Against America” can only cover a fraction. The book had a major focus on political unrest in the United States in the Jewish community because of Lindberg’s election as president, an apparent friend of Hitler. The book follows a Jewish family having to struggle in the new America as they face oppression by the government though it is not on the same level as Nazi Germany. The main character, Phillip, is a third grader who at the beginning of the book is innocent, but begins to develop a deep hatred for president Lindberg because of his alleged support of the American Jewish race by using a puppet rabi. The book uses an amount of Jewish vocabulary so I had to look up a few terms, I also thought the story was convincing as I couldn't tell when reality had become fiction, when Roth started to write fiction. The concept was realistic, the United States did not magically become Nazi Germany and life wasn't made for the worst just like that. The book focused heavily on everyday life over a 3 year period. Throughout this period there was always a looming tension of hysteria over Philip and his family, making me want to read more, it was a lot like a drama as the family had constant fights and things never were able to turn out right. I thought it was interesting how powerful Lindberg was causing family problems with people he never met because of political decisions. Roth does an excellent job of creating a gloomy setting, encompassing the reader into his dark world. Unfortunately this gloomy world does not have a happy ending, I actually don't think it qualifies as an ending. There was so many loose ends and so many things left unresolved. America became affected beyond repair along with Philip’s family. So as such I expected a bad ending, I was right however it was painfully drawn out and unsatisfying. Which in my opinion ruined the book, it was off to a really good start, it was gripping and suspenseful, but by the ending I was physically fatigued. I’d recommend “The Plot Against America” to those interested in history and politics, otherwise I would read “The Man in the High Castle” by Philip Dick.