But in 2004 when I had the opportunity to review his new book The Plot Against America - a story clearly satirizing the fascistic underpinnings of our society, underpinnings which had enabled the selection and installation of Dubya Bush as the President whose reign we were then enduring - I thought I might give Roth a try after all. I was glad I did.
Looking at this book again in 2018, its cautionary narrative feels more necessary to our collective consciousness than ever. For example, as we are criticizing the media for "normalizing" attitudes and behaviors (racism, misogyny, Naziism) previously viewed as aberrant in the mainstream, Roth's phrase describing the isolationist Lindbergh's appeal as "normalcy raised to heroic proportions" seems eerily apt with regard to Trump and his followers.
This is a truly great novel, or at least a great novel of our time in this country. Perhaps it will resonate in other cultures, with their dark sides, as well. If authoritarianism and fascism are universally with us, lurking like a dormant virus in any human population and just waiting to express themselves given the necessary conditions, then this book could have Shakespearean legs in time and across cultures. Because, perhaps most of all, the appeal of the story is in how individual people respond and the choices we make. It's surely a good idea to think about this before we find ourselves forced to make such choices under pressure like this.
So here's my short review, from back then, recommending the book to older teens and adults in the "adult books for older teens" column of School Library Journal. (My reviews had a limited word count. For something a little longer and weightier, and seen from today's perspective, here's a 2017 commentary by Richard Brody in the New Yorker.)
I think it's time to reread this book.
Review: The Plot Against America by Philip Roth (2004)
When Charles Lindbergh, Republican candidate in the 1940 presidential race, defeats popular FDR in a landslide, pollsters scramble for explanations-among them that, to a country weary of crisis and fearful of becoming involved in another European war, the aviator represents "normalcy raised to heroic proportions." For the Roth family, however, the situation is anything but normal, and heroism has a different meaning. As the anti-Semitic new president cozies up to the Third Reich, right-wing activists throughout the nation seize the moment. Most citizens, enamored of isolationism and lost in hero worship, see no evil-but in the Roths' once secure and stable Jewish neighborhood in New Jersey, the world is descending into a nightmare of confusion, fear, and unpredictability. The young narrator, Phil, views the developing crisis through the lens of his family life and his own boyish concerns. His father, clinging tenaciously to his trust in America, loses his confidence painfully and incrementally. His mother tries to shield the children from her own growing fear. An aunt, brother, and cousin respond in different ways, and the family is divided. But though the situation is grim, this is not a despairing tale; suspenseful, poignant, and often humorous, it engages readers in many ways. It prompts them to consider the nature of history, present times, and possible futures, and can lead to good discussions among thoughtful readers and teachers. Bibliographic sources, notes on historical figures, and documentation are included. -Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA |
