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ZUCKERMAN UNBOUND, the second book in the Zuckerman series following THE GHOST WRITER,
details the fortunes of writer Nathan Zuckerman, Philip Roth's alter-ego. Zuckerman has
reached star status as his wildly ribald and profane portrait of a young Jewish man's
sexual adventures, "Carnovsky," places him on the top rung of the ladder of
literary success, and makes him a target of the traditional Jewish establishment who
proclaim him a self-hating Jew. Intimidated by the attention, Zuckerman seeks his privacy
in the wake of all the hoopla.
On a trip to Florida to visit his mother and dying father, Zuckerman comes face to face
with the impact of his newfound fame. His mother has suffered harassing phone calls and
everywhere she goes she is confronted with questions as the woman who bore the infamous
"Carnovsky." His father, surrounded by family on his deathbed, curses Zuckerman
just before he dies.
The most scathing indictment comes from his brother. "Do you really think conscience
is a Jewish invention from which you are immune? Do you really think you can just go have
a good time with the rest of the swingers without troubling yourself about conscience?
Without troubling about anything but seeing how funny you can be about the people who have
loved you most in the world...when all he wanted to hear was 'I love you!'... Oh, you
miserable bastard, don't you tell me about fathers and sons!"
Back home in New York, Zuckerman confronts another problem; a rabid fan who idolizes
Zuckerman and claims that "Carnovsky" was a portrayal of his own life begins to
stalk Zuckerman. Alvin Pepler had his 15 minutes of fame as the reigning champion of a
quiz show during the 1950s, but his star fell after a scandal questioning the show's
credibility. Now attempting to write his own story, he's latched onto Zuckerman and won't
let go. This manic character provides some of the richest scenes in the book and almost
manages to steal the spotlight from Zuckerman.
Filled with numerous passages of Roth's biting wit and wondrous prose, ZUCKERMAN UNBOUND
is an example of a writer at his tragicomic best. With brutal honesty, Roth faces his and
Zuckerman's critics as he further explores the pressures, responsibilities and resulting
impact of putting pen to paper and baring one's soul.
--- Reviewed by Vern Wiessner
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