So after seeing this on that 25 best fiction book list, I came home to find that my little brother had purchased and read this. So I'm giving it a go, and so far (7pgs in) it's pretty damn good. It's obviously stilll in a set-up phase but his prose is really engaging and it kind of speaks to me on the level of having grown up in an 80% Jewish town...that is to say that I understand a lot of the cultural things he mentions, like the fact that "physical aggression...was not a traditional source of pleasure in our community -- advanced degrees were." (3)

I think I'll enjoy this.

Odd - last night I was looking over my bookshelf of as-yet unread books, hunting for something to read. I passed over American Pastoral, and chose Portnoy's Complaint instead.

My wife praises Roth to anyone who will listen.

Great book. Late Roth is gold. Strange career trajectory. Definitely pick up The Plot Against America, too.

I just got this from the library last week for some reason. I think I skimmed through the first couple of pages and tossed it aside. The jacket quotes said that it was a book you couldn't put down but the little I read said otherwise.

Yeah, I wouldn't necessarily call him a grabber in that way.

Goodbye, Columbus - his first novel before he got all dirty - is probably my favorite book.

You know, early Roth.

book just keeps delivering. i've only read like 10 pages but they've all been awesome. love what he did setting up the book by referring to that other baseball book. clever man.

I read this but I really didn't get why it was supposed to be so incredible. I have been meaning to try another Roth book but after being disappointed in that one, I haven't as of yet.