Deception

Rating:
Summary: Distilled Roth - a fine vintage
Review: "Happy Birthday" "Thanks." "It's Deception by Philip Roth. You'll love it" "Sure?" "Yes" "Why?" "Because it's Philip Roth, and it's clever, and it's humane, and it's about love and about trust and about sex." "Like Portnoy's Complaint and Sabbath's Theater?" "Well, no. You see it's written completely in dialogue" "Completely?" "With one or two stage directions, but otherwise completely in dialogue" "and what's it about?" "A writer called Philip" "Philip?" "Yes, Philip. Roth doesn't bother with Zuckerman here" "So, what does Philip do?" "He talks. Just talks. To his wife. To his mistress or mistresses." "Plural?" "Yes, plural." "So he talks." ... "Just talks?" "Yes. Although it's cleverly done. In some sections you don't know if it's Philip, or a woman talking at first. Your whole perception can be changed depending on how you read these scenes." "And you liked it?" "Of course. I loved it. It's up there with American Pastoral and Sabbath's Theater. But it's distilled Roth. There's nothing unnecessary."

Rating:
Summary: Not a Roth fan
Review: "Happy Birthday" "Thanks." "It's Deception by Philip Roth. You'll love it" "Sure?" "Yes" "Why?" "Because it's Philip Roth, and it's clever, and it's humane, and it's about love and about trust and about sex." "Like Portnoy's Complaint and Sabbath's Theater?" "Well, no. You see it's written completely in dialogue" "Completely?" "With one or two stage directions, but otherwise completely in dialogue" "and what's it about?" "A writer called Philip" "Philip?" "Yes, Philip. Roth doesn't bother with Zuckerman here" "So, what does Philip do?" "He talks. Just talks. To his wife. To his mistress or mistresses." "Plural?" "Yes, plural." "So he talks." ... "Just talks?" "Yes. Although it's cleverly done. In some sections you don't know if it's Philip, or a woman talking at first. Your whole perception can be changed depending on how you read these scenes." "And you liked it?" "Of course. I loved it. It's up there with American Pastoral and Sabbath's Theater. But it's distilled Roth. There's nothing unnecessary."

Rating:
Summary: Clever and well written
Review: Deception is a smart, witty well written novel with a great twist at the end. This is a very unique all-dialogue novel that really works. I found the storyline not only intriguing but very compelling as well. Interested readers may also want to try reading VOX and FRIED CALAMARI, two other all dialogue novels that I found to be compelling and entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: Not a Roth fan
Review: I don't understand why so many people think Philip Roth is such an important writer, but I keep reading his books in an attempt to find out. In this spirit, I just finished _Deception_, which was recommended by a friend. But I didn't find the answer here. The dialogue in this all-dialogue novel is not at all convincing; the characters are not engaging in any way; and the "plot" (which is not revealed until the end, if indeed it is then) is too clever by half. If you're not already a Roth fan, don't bother; this is not the book that will make you one.