Philip Roth in Context

This volume offers new insight into the breadth of contexts that inform Philip Roth's body of work.

Maggie McKinley (Edited by)

9781108489294, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 July 2021

414 pages
23.5 x 16 x 3 cm, 0.72 kg

'… a reasonable starting point for anyone seeking a complete picture of how Roth is viewed within the context of academic literary criticism … Recommended.' S. Gittleman, Choice Connect

Written by leading scholars on Philip Roth from around the globe, this book offers new insight into the various contexts that inform his body of work. It opens with an overview of Roth's life and literary influences, before turning to important critical, geographical, theoretical, cultural, and historical contexts. It closes with focused meditations on the various iterations of Roth's legacy, from the screen to international translations of his work to his signature stylistic imprint on American letters. Together, all of these chapters reveal Roth's range as a writer, as he interrogates American national identity and history, and explores the dimensions of the individual self.

Notes on Contributors
Introduction Maggie McKinley
Part I. Life and Literary Contexts: 1. Life Matthew Shipe
2. Literary Influences Rachael McLennan
3. Literary Conversations Dan A. O'Brien
4. Roth's Comic Seriousness Paule Lévy
5. Writing about Writing James D. Bloom
Part II. Critical Contexts: 6. The Early Years Ira Nadel
7. Portnoy and its Aftermath Pia Masiero
8. The Zuckerman Books David Hadar
9. The Kepesh Books Mike Witcombe
10. The 'Philip Roth' books Gurumurthy Neelakantan
11. The Late Novellas Victoria Aarons
Part III. Geographical Contexts: 12. Newark Jessica Lang
13. The Berkshires Daniel Anderson
14. Prague Claudia Franziska Brühwiler
15. Israel Leona Toker
Part IV. Theoretical Contexts: 16. Psychoanalysis Maren Scheurer
17. Postmodernism Michael Kalisch
18. Trauma Theory Aimee Pozorski
19. Narrative Medicine Miriam Jaffe
Part V. Jewish American Identity: 20. Roth as 'Jewish American Writer' Jennifer Glaser
21. The Holocaust in Roth's Work Hilene Flanzbaum
22. Judaism and Secularism Jacques Berlinerblau
23. Antisemitism Gustavo Sánchez Canales
24. The Black-Jewish Matrix Brett Ashley Kaplan and Naomi Taub
Part VI. Gender & Sexuality: 25. Roth and Women Debra Shostak
26. Masculinity Maggie McKinley
27. Sexuality David Brauner
Part VII. Political Contexts: 28. Political Satire David Gooblar
29. Class Politics Andy Connolly
30. American Individualism Brittany Hirth
31. The War on Terror Margaret Scanlan
Part VIII. Roth's Legacy: 32. Roth in Adaptation Gerard O'Donoghue
33. Roth in Translation Velichka Ivanova
34. Philip Roth on Philip Roth James Schiff
35. Roth in Retirement Timothy Parrish
Primary Bibliography
Selected Secondary Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Literary reference works [DSR], Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers [DSK], Literary studies: from c 1900 - [DSBH]