Patrimony : A True Story

Rating:
Summary: A devoted son tells of the last year of his father's life
Review: In this work we see a kinder and more humane Philip Roth than we see in his fictions. His devotion to his father through the father's illness and loss of his own powers is moving. In the course of it Roth himself suffers a near fatal heart attack. With Roth there is always a special intensity and often beauty in the writing. This is one of his best books. It portrays a painful and difficult human reality that most come to know at one time or another, with dedication and real art.

Rating:
Summary: This is an exceptionally fine book.
Review: Patrimony is a non-fiction account of the last years of Philip Roth's father, Herman, covering as well the family history which was so important to Herman. Not only is Roth a fine stylist, but the sensitivity of this account transcends even the exceptional style. By turns tragic, sardonic, humerous and moving, this book is a window into the values of late twentieth-century America, both good and bad

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: Read this book in two seatings. First rate non-fiction from my favorite author. Vivid scenes put you in his shoes; sad and happy at the same time.

Just bought it for my father for father's day.

Rating:
Summary: Parent-child role reversal
Review: This is more than a book about Philip Roth and his father. This is a book that explores the father-son relationship in general. Roth eloquently traces the process of role reversal in which child becomes parent as his father's health gradually deteriorates. What he reveals is that this is by no means an easy or natural process. His father resists at every turn his son's attempts to care for him, clinging desperately to the pride and self-respect that painfully elude him as his independence disappears. And for Roth, the son, the process of coming to grips with the mortality of his father is equally difficult. This figure in his life that he has looked up to as indestructible is suddenly revealed to be human, and the son is forced to deal with the loss - not just the loss caused by his father's death, but also the loss of security that came before that as he slowly assumes the role of responsibility vis-à-vis his father.

This is also a book about the human tendency to fear and resist death. It is a testimony to the courage of the human heart, the courage to fight death and the courage to finally accept what is natural.

It is only fair of me to point out that of the seven Roth novels that I have read, this is the worst. That said, it is still better than 90 percent of the books I have read. That's simply a testament to how good a writer Roth is, that even his worst performances are still worthy of prizes like the National Book Critics Circle Award, which Patrimony won.

What I didn't particularly care for in this book was that it made no attempt at being anything other than autobiographical. It read more like a personal journal than a novel, and Roth's ability to create wonderful characters was hampered by the fact that he wasn't really creating anything at all here; rather, he was simply recording the events and emotions of his actual life. It thereby loses the feel of being a novel.

Rating:
Summary: Parent-child role reversal
Review: This is more than a book about Philip Roth and his father. This is a book that explores the father-son relationship in general. Roth eloquently traces the process of role reversal in which child becomes parent as his father's health gradually deteriorates. What he reveals is that this is by no means an easy or natural process. His father resists at every turn his son's attempts to care for him, clinging desperately to the pride and self-respect that painfully elude him as his independence disappears. And for Roth, the son, the process of coming to grips with the mortality of his father is equally difficult. This figure in his life that he has looked up to as indestructible is suddenly revealed to be human, and the son is forced to deal with the loss - not just the loss caused by his father's death, but also the loss of security that came before that as he slowly assumes the role of responsibility vis-à-vis his father.

This is also a book about the human tendency to fear and resist death. It is a testimony to the courage of the human heart, the courage to fight death and the courage to finally accept what is natural.

It is only fair of me to point out that of the seven Roth novels that I have read, this is the worst. That said, it is still better than 90 percent of the books I have read. That's simply a testament to how good a writer Roth is, that even his worst performances are still worthy of prizes like the National Book Critics Circle Award, which Patrimony won.

What I didn't particularly care for in this book was that it made no attempt at being anything other than autobiographical. It read more like a personal journal than a novel, and Roth's ability to create wonderful characters was hampered by the fact that he wasn't really creating anything at all here; rather, he was simply recording the events and emotions of his actual life. It thereby loses the feel of being a novel.

Rating:
Summary: A moving work
Review: This novel was called "A True Story" by Mr Roth. Indeed, many parts in "Patrimony" have a personal tone. The author talks about his mother's sudden death in a restaurant in 1981 and about the sad and painful last year of his father's life. Herman Roth was diagnosed with a massive brain tumou so that little by little he became more and more disabled and needed constant attention. It is impressive to see the author's devotion and attention to his ageing father, all the more since his condition required an almost constant care. One also feels the father's shame and embarrassment as his physical condition worsens.
Mr Roth manages to create an irrepressible and irresistible hero, his father.

Rating:
Summary: A slim and beautiful portrait of an old man at lifes end
Review: With the possible exception of Goodbye Columbus when you undertake a Roth novel you are in for some heavy reading and a major time committment. No so with this novel. At almost novella length, Roth spins a somewhat possibly fictionalized story of the elder Roth's late life which despite being the father of a famous author, he is also a man full of memories and regrets.

The most moving of scenes which will touch anyone who has lost a loved one is the trip to the Mother graveside. Ultimately no matter how you behave during the visit; if you talk to the deceased, weed the plot or whatever, you walk away the same as you came in...alone... to paraphrase Roth. This an other flashes of the master make this and all Roth novels worth reading over and over.