More Book Talk!

I just finished reading Philip Roth's The Plot Against America. If you haven't heard about it, it's a novel that depicts a nightmare scenario: What if Charles Lindbergh, well-known anti-Semite, was actually a prop of the Nazis? What if defeated FDR in the election of 1940 and began institutionalizing that anti-Semitism? Here's my review from Amazon (yes, I love writing reviews there, too!)

Roth's tale of a mirror-image America, one that becomes quickly overcome by hatred and fear in the name of "national security," is both a chilling political suspense story and a poignant look at one young boy recognizing the end of childhood.

Current political allusions aside, Roth creates a very vivid and detailed picture of an America gone fascist under "Lucky Lindy," a President with suspiciously close ties to Adolf Hitler. Viewing the nation's slide into the abyss through the eyes of one Jewish family, the reader shares their terror as their government, their neighbors, and even their extended family can no longer be trusted. Young Philip experiences more than his share of trauma, as one by one his heroes - his brother, his cousin, his President, his country - fall.

Once you get into the real meat of this book, the pages practically turn themselves as you eagerly read on to see what happens to the Roths and to the America that we think we know. My only criticism is in Roth's writing style, particularly in the early chapters. I've never read any of his other books so I don't know what's typical, but I felt that his long passages of exposition read like something out of a textbook rather than a novel. He clearly researched this book thoroughly, but I wished that some of the information was imparted in a more readable way rather than long monologues about stamp collecting, or about the history of the monuments in Washington, etc.

Overall, this book was a fascinating and engrossing read. I strongly recommend it to anyone who's interested in history, politics, or just a good, old-fashioned thriller.

So, it's time for another book check. What are you reading now? Any recommendations?