Saturday, June 30, 2007

Contemporary Reads: Portnoy's Complaint



Portnoy's Complaint (1697) is a novel by Philip Roth. It is largely a rather candid sex-ridden monologue by Alexandre Portnoy. His Jewish upbringing in 1940s New Jersey, his highschool years and his failed relationships with shikses including The Monkey (a Southern illiterate girl called Mary Jane) are all part of the narrative. The climax is Portnoy's visit to Israel where he becomes impotent. Sex features abundantly and explictly. This novel is both funny and poignant.

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