Rating: 
Summary: Not the best book by Roth, but still worth recommending
Review: This is the second Philip Roth book that I have read in which the author himself is a main character. In the other one, Patrimony, Roth came across as a humble, compassionate, good-natured human being. In this one, he comes across as an egomaniacal, paranoid, self-aggrandizing jerk. I've read more than a half dozen of his novels, and I consider him to be the best American writer alive today, so the bitter taste that I was left with after reading this book likely won't last long and won't tarnish my overall impression of him as a writer. But still, I have to wonder how much of the character of Roth in this book is fiction, and how much of it is true. Despite its pretense of being a true confession, this book is obviously a work of fiction, so one could conclude that the character of Roth is just that - a character and nothing more. But to dismiss without further exploration would be to oversimplify it. After all, this is Roth writing about Roth, and surely he made this a first-person account for a reason. Obviously he wanted to use this writer-as-character technique as a mechanism for conveying his personal opinions. And on top of that, he creates another character of the exact same name and similar in appearance to serve as a foil or alter ego. Neither character, unfortunately, comes across as sympathetic - one on purpose, but not the other. The Roth who narrates this book is cruel, selfish, self-centered, and immature. I lost count of how many times the character commented on his quest for the Nobel Prize - always in a facetious, backhanded sort of way to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal to him.My other main criticism of this book - and I think I'm allowed to write this since one side of my family is Jewish - is that this book is too, um, Jewish. Roth is obviously known as an author who writes about the Jewish experience, so it's no surprise that this theme appears in yet another of his books. But here it's not just a theme - the whole book is about being Jewish. I have to wonder if that will limit the appeal of this book to a narrow audience. Even I found it tedious at times. I much preferred his other books in which the Jewish experience was one element of a much broader, deeper message. That said, I still recommend this book. After all, it is Philip Roth, and his expert craftsmanship is evident throughout the novel. The humor that he is known for pops up every now and then as well, though not as much, perhaps, as in his other (better) books.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best book by Roth, but still worth recommending
Review: This is the second Philip Roth book that I have read in which the author himself is a main character. In the other one, Patrimony, Roth came across as a humble, compassionate, good-natured human being. In this one, he comes across as an egomaniacal, paranoid, self-aggrandizing jerk. I've read more than a half dozen of his novels, and I consider him to be the best American writer alive today, so the bitter taste that I was left with after reading this book likely won't last long and won't tarnish my overall impression of him as a writer. But still, I have to wonder how much of the character of Roth in this book is fiction, and how much of it is true. Despite its pretense of being a true confession, this book is obviously a work of fiction, so one could conclude that the character of Roth is just that - a character and nothing more. But to dismiss without further exploration would be to oversimplify it. After all, this is Roth writing about Roth, and surely he made this a first-person account for a reason. Obviously he wanted to use this writer-as-character technique as a mechanism for conveying his personal opinions. And on top of that, he creates another character of the exact same name and similar in appearance to serve as a foil or alter ego. Neither character, unfortunately, comes across as sympathetic - one on purpose, but not the other. The Roth who narrates this book is cruel, selfish, self-centered, and immature. I lost count of how many times the character commented on his quest for the Nobel Prize - always in a facetious, backhanded sort of way to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal to him. My other main criticism of this book - and I think I'm allowed to write this since one side of my family is Jewish - is that this book is too, um, Jewish. Roth is obviously known as an author who writes about the Jewish experience, so it's no surprise that this theme appears in yet another of his books. But here it's not just a theme - the whole book is about being Jewish. I have to wonder if that will limit the appeal of this book to a narrow audience. Even I found it tedious at times. I much preferred his other books in which the Jewish experience was one element of a much broader, deeper message. That said, I still recommend this book. After all, it is Philip Roth, and his expert craftsmanship is evident throughout the novel. The humor that he is known for pops up every now and then as well, though not as much, perhaps, as in his other (better) books.
Rating: 
Summary: How does he do it?
Review: What makes Roth so special? While so many other aging writers resort to rehashing older themes, descend into old fogey sentimentality, or simply fade away altogether, Roth only gets stronger. Stronger and more assured in his style and stronger in the subjects he tackles. "Operation Shylock" finds Roth once again challenging the reader's perceptions about fiction and non-fiction. The challenge lies in not letting the distinction distract you from the brilliant story that unfolds. Roth is on top of his game in every respect, from the cat and mouse games of the various "Philip Roths" to the wonderfully varied supporting cast of characters. Roth's narration, like Zuckerman's in recent years, is an orgy of hilarious speculation and theorizing...trying to work out every possible thread of a situation, the processes of a hyperactive mind laid out before the reader. If you don't like it, then you don't like it, and you probably don't like Roth. If you haven't read him before, and the basic plot interests you, this may be a good place to start. "American Pastoral" was great, "The Human Stain" even better, but I feel "Operation Shylock" ranks with "The Counterlife" as his best work. Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: so brilliant it's scary
Review: While some of the Zuckerman novels, like The Counterlife, focus on ambiguities of identity, Operation Shylock carries its subject to a whole new level. Philip Roth meets Philip Roth in a story that, despite the end disclaimer (and a possible disclaimer's disclaimer, "This confession is false"), may have happened. Even at the end there's no way to be certain. Actually, this may have been Roth's "last gasp" in the humor department, judging by his last few books, but if so, it's perhaps the funniest of them all. Some of the situations here are so absurd, the dialogue so hilarious, that one wonders what Roth could've done as a syndicated humor columnist. As it is, Roth manages to concoct scenes that are simultaneously profound, moving, and hilarious. The best scenes, though, are the soul-searching ones, especially the remarkable trial scene in which the Roth character (or whatever) delves into his own thoughts, then into the thoughts of those around him, in a mesmerizing way. Roth is an enormously talented writer, and his ability to depict the mind of someone (or himself) is simply remarkable. In his last few books Roth has let loose with his prose, and reading Operation Shylock is like watching a piano or violin virtuoso who is so good s/he seems to transcend us mere mortals. His ability to weave long, complex sentences that don't become obscure for a second is something few other writers in the English language have ever matched. Should've won the Pullitzer.
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