In 1951, the second year of the Korean War, a studious, law-abiding, and intense youngster from Newark, New Jersey, Marcus Messner, begins his sophomore year on the pastoral, conservative campus of Ohio’s Winesburg College. And why is he there and not at a local college in Newark where he originally enrolled? Because his father, the sturdy, hardworking neighborhood butcher, seems to have gone mad—mad with fear and apprehension of the dangers of adult life, the dangers of the world, the dangers he sees in every corner for his beloved boy. Far from Newark, Marcus has to find his way amid the customs and constrictions of another American world.
Indignation, Philip Roth’s twenty-ninth book, is a startling departure from the haunted narratives of old age and experience in Roth’s recent books and a powerful exploration of a remarkable moment in American history.
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"Although I wouldn't rank this among his great works, a Roth is always a Roth. Going back to one of his favored themes and periods - how to belong in fifties America, though not novel in any sense, it remains impressive that Roth can tackle this from so many different angles and voices. A good read."
— Daniel (4 out of 5 stars)
“There are simply no novels by Roth in which you cannot detect the hand of a master.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine“A triumph.”
— USA Today“Roth…demonstrates with subtle mastery the incomprehensible way one’s most banal, incidental, even comical choices achieve the most disproportionate result.”
— New Yorker“Mesmerizing…Philip Roth’s intrepid novel of self-revelation demands to be read in one sitting. It’s that good. It’s that audacious. It’s that compelling.”
— Seattle Times“A late masterpiece…Indignation is Philip Roth’s best novel since The Counterlife.”
— Financial Times (London)“Brilliant and disconcerting…The terrible sadness of Marcus’ life is rendered palpable by Roth’s fierce grasp on the psychology of this butcher’s boy, down to his bought-for-Winesburg wardrobe. It’s a melancholy triumph and a cogent reflection on society in a time of war.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Provocative…Fast-paced, compassionate, humorous, historically conscious.”
— Booklist (starred review)“The book has a taut, elegant symmetry…A twist in narrative perspective reinforces this novel’s timelessness.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“A meditation on love, death, and madness…Roth’s new novel combines the comic absurdity of his early novels like Portnoy’s Complaint with the pathos of his later novels like Everyman and Exit Ghost.”
— Library Journal" 1st edition, signed by author "
— Beth, 2/16/2014" This was on the new york times 100 notable books but I wasn't all that impressed. The story line was a bit predictable. I was left with the feeling that Roth could write some great books...just maybe not in this genre. "
— Joselynn, 2/6/2014" An angry-young-man novel of the highest order! "
— Henry, 2/4/2014" it is incredible. certainly one of the best books i've read in the past few months. can't wait to read more of roth's. "
— Amanda, 2/2/2014" The more I remembered this is set in 1951, the better I liked it. A fast read packed with a lot to think about and discuss in book group! "
— Martha, 1/27/2014" Another novella by Roth during his late renaissance. Better than The Humbling but doesn't quite reach the heights of Nemesis. "
— Tom, 1/24/2014" Angst, humor, angst & finally poignancy. "
— Judy, 1/16/2014" Not a book I would recommend - seemed like a lot of ranting and raving and a main character that had little to hold on to...was out of control in terms of his lack of socialization and ability to function past his own family...he had so many questions and didn't know who to trust for answers. "
— Holly, 12/23/2013" I just finished reading this. I've had it lying on my shelf for a while but hadn't picked it up yet. Like most of Roth's work it's a joy to read. Dreadful, comic and sad in places, this book dissects familial relations and the mores of 1950s America in a brief few pages. "
— Cormac, 12/22/2013" Everything you didn't want to learn about lesbians. Unnecesarily prurient and depressing to boot. "
— Don, 12/5/2013" Anyone read the Sherwood Anderson stories about Winesburg, Ohio? "
— Lauren, 11/25/2013Philip Roth (1933–2018) was one of the most decorated writers in American history, having won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction, the National Book Critics Circle Award twice, the PEN/Faulkner Award three times, the National Book Award, and many more. He also won the Ambassador Book Award of the English-Speaking Union and in the same year received the National Medal of Arts at the White House. In 2001 he received the highest award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Gold Medal in Fiction, given every six years “for the entire work of the recipient.”
Ray Chase graduated from the University of Southern California with a BA in theater and a minor in cinema and television. He has since worked extensively as a voice-over artist. Among his dozens of audiobook narrations are Ian Douglas’ Heritage trilogy and Robert Olen Butler’s Christopher Marlowe Cobb thrillers.