Philip Roth
1972
Around 115 pages
Well, it was only a matter of time before it came to us. Out of the 651 books so far, about 475 have been about men obsessing over women's bodies. So a story about a man becoming a breast feels long overdue.
David Kepesh is a literature professor, so the similarities of his plight to that of Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis or Kovalyov in The Nose are not lost on him. As he gradually transforms into everybody's favorite body part, he describes his new sexual reality and the feelings that got him in such a unique situation in the first place.
When you have an absurd concept like this, the key is to keep it short, as these premises wear thin after awhile. Of course, this is an off the wall story, but Roth is so talented at created fleshed out characters (teehee) that it still feels grounded.
Definitely a step up from Portnoy's Complaint. Strangely, this felt less adolescent, and it was about a man turning into a boob.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
Talking to The Observer's Robert McCrum in 2001, Roth said, "I'm not good at finding 'encouraging' features in American culture. I doubt that aesthetic literacy has much of a future here."
UP NEXT: Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
1 comment:
Wow. A boob. Thanks for reading this FOR us.
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