I haven’t figured out the exact parameters of my own definition of “memoir” for this project, though it certainly does not include many of the ones discussed in this piece. I am not a fan of the “memoir” as it is defined in the bookstore. In fact, though I am generally a person who will let people read whatever they want, I usually want to tip over the table of memoirs that blocks my entrance to the bookstore. Then again, Patrimony is a memoir; This Boy’s Life is a memoir. What is different about them (I know, I’m asking you to determine what I’m thinking). Perhaps it’s as simple as the fact that I trust these writers. I don’t even care if they are not accurately conveying what actually happened; I trust they are conveying another kind of “truth,” or, rather, that they are conveying another kind of “sense” of what happened. I trust their motives are not self-promoting (at least not entirely) and I trust that there is more to their writing than the desire to seek some kind of redemption by telling their story.

Patrimony is, I think, a prime place for people to begin their acquaintance with Roth (or to try again, if the first time didn’t work). It’s a very delicate piece. I hope when you read it you’ll share your thoughts here and let me know if it helped you see Roth a bit differently.