I finished reading today Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth. It is one of the funniest books I ever read. Almost plot-less it is interesting enough to grip you. The story is a long psychoanalysis session in which Alex Portnoy “deals” with his obsession with sex, traumatic relationship with his over-worried parents, Jewish identity, inability to sustain meaningful relationship with women, Diaspora vs. Israel amongst many others issues!
“The legend engraved on the face of the Jewish nickel– on the body of every Jewish child!– not IN GOD WE TRUST, but SOMEDAY YOU'LL BE A PARENT AND YOU'LL KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE”
"American society [...] not only sanctions gross and unfair relations among men, but it encourages them. Now, can that be denied? No. Rivalry, competition, envy, jealousy, all that is malignant in human character is nourished by the system. Possession, money, property--on such corrupt standards as these do you people measure happiness and success."
"Dreams? If only they had been! But I don't need dreams, Doctor, that's why I hardly have them—because I have this life instead. With me it all happens in broad daylight!"
According to Wikipedia, this novel published in 1969 caused a great deal of controversy given its direct treatment of sexuality and numerous and detailed references to masturbation.
It is the second novel I read by Roth with the first being Indignation. Indignation is also quite clever in the sense that it is narrated by a dead person telling the last years of his life. There are common themes with PC (growing up in a Jewish family, trouble rapport with parents, love for baseball). It was also quite an engaging read but I enjoyed PC more as it showed me again that books can be entertaining, inspiring, thought-provoking but also very funny. I will certainly try to read more by Philip Roth in the future.
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