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A review by gvenezia
I Married a Communist by Philip Roth
3.0
A Less-Focused Sequel Dilutes the Greatness of this American Novel Trilogy
Most of the core of the story and its themes come late in the book and have more to do with the development of the narrator, Nathan, than with the main character, Ira. Before that, there’s a lot of political intrigue and a cast of characters who don’t seem all that relevant or important at first.
Perhaps the problem was more in my manner of reading the book, which was in small 30-60 minute sections. I read American Pastoral in much longer sections and it felt more coherent and built in a clearer way. The themes and main characters felt more important early on. Upon rereading some sections of IMAC I did grasp more of the authorial intention and dramatic development.
IMAC does nicely builds on some of the themes in American Pastoral but ultimately feels a little over-dramatic, overly complicated, and too caught up in Roth's own personal life (main characters are based Roth's own high-stakes failed marriage). It departs from some of the key elements of the Great American Novel, and thereby dilutes the impact of the trilogy.
Most of the core of the story and its themes come late in the book and have more to do with the development of the narrator, Nathan, than with the main character, Ira. Before that, there’s a lot of political intrigue and a cast of characters who don’t seem all that relevant or important at first.
Perhaps the problem was more in my manner of reading the book, which was in small 30-60 minute sections. I read American Pastoral in much longer sections and it felt more coherent and built in a clearer way. The themes and main characters felt more important early on. Upon rereading some sections of IMAC I did grasp more of the authorial intention and dramatic development.
IMAC does nicely builds on some of the themes in American Pastoral but ultimately feels a little over-dramatic, overly complicated, and too caught up in Roth's own personal life (main characters are based Roth's own high-stakes failed marriage). It departs from some of the key elements of the Great American Novel, and thereby dilutes the impact of the trilogy.