Comments on: Philip Roth: Goodbye, Columbus

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:29:40 +0000

I don’t know, Trevor, but I like the phrase! I was quite hooked by it until I read your explanation. Maybe we should find a good meaning for it?

By: Trevor

Trevor — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:04:10 +0000

Pithy. “That should say Twitter has you all pithy, Rob.”

I wonder what it would mean if Twitter had someone all pity.

By: Trevor

Trevor — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:04:00 +0000

Twitter has you all pity, Rob :) !

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:42:58 +0000

I remember watching the film once, very late at night… or rather, I don’t really remember watching it, because it was very late at night…

By: Deucekindred

Deucekindred — Sun, 10 May 2009 02:06:36 +0000

Funnily enough when I read Goodby Columbus (the story) for the first time, I thought it would make a great film – I kept on imagining it in the style of The Graduate, where every shot would be memorable

By: Trevor

Trevor — Sat, 09 May 2009 17:27:30 +0000

Was it a good film, Nicola? I’ve had the impression that every film adaptation of a Roth book is a bad film. Even he considers most of them “Unwatchable!” Perhaps this is the exception?

By: Nicola

Nicola — Sat, 09 May 2009 17:23:01 +0000

Oh, who can forget the beautiful Ali McGraw in the film? I didn’t even know it was based on a book by Philip Roth. I’d like to read it.

By: Trevor

Trevor — Sat, 09 May 2009 14:12:41 +0000

Thanks for the comments, everyone, and on a Saturday morning! Usually I sit around all day Saturday just waiting for visitors :) .

William, you should definitely stop worrying. It’s a very quick read, but all the more surprising how much is there in spite of the length.

Rob and Duecekindred, I’m a bit afraid if I keep going strong on Roth that I’ll burn out too soon or blur them together. After I finish the Zuckerman books (I have only Exit Ghost left) I’m not sure what I’ll read next, but it might be a while. Well, I do have Patrimony on the shelf, so maybe that one, since it’s a bit different, will be read soon. If I read those and then his new one this fall (which I will), that will still be six Roth books this year for me. And I’m cutting back?

By: Deucekindred

Deucekindred — Sat, 09 May 2009 13:06:32 +0000

Great review!

goodbye Columbus was my first Roth, I was 20 at the time, and I still think that the title story is one of the strongest pieces of writing he’s put a pen to. Defender of the Faith is also my second fave story.

After that I read a lot of Roth but than began to grow tired of him, however in March I re-read The Plot Against America and it knocked me off my chair with it’s brilliance so I am going to tackle roth again as a 30 year old.

By: William Rycroft

William Rycroft — Sat, 09 May 2009 12:53:26 +0000

He’s one of my favourite authors too Trevor and like you I have read only his later work so it was very interesting to read this. I’ve always been a little tentative about this book for the same reasons you mention but also, having been disappointed by some of his most recent books, I didn’t want to be disappointed again by starting at the beginning. You’ve encouraged me to stop worrying and enjoy what’s there.