American Pastoral
As seen:
By Philip Roth
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1 review
Seymour Levov, a devoted family man and inheritor of his father’s factory, comes of age in thriving post-war America. His daughter Merry is the apple of his eye until America begins to run amok in the turbulent 1960s, and Merry grows up to be a terrorist bent on destroying her father’s paradise.
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Phew! That was a slog. A story about an American Jewish school all-star who becomes a successful businessman (in the family business). Beautiful wife, 3 lovely children, fantastic house, the works. The American Dream personified. But as the layers are peeled away the whole thing turns out to be rotten to the core. Not just for our Golden Boy but for everyone. They're all wearing masks (as one of the characters says) and pretending. But crikey, it took him a long time to get there. And I learned more about the manufacture of gloves and numerous other subjects than I ever wanted to.
