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infinitejoe

Infinite Joe

I like challenging books that make you think, and leave you happy that you did. Typically, I find character driven literary fiction the most satisfying, although I in no way think of myself as a serious literary critic.

Currently reading

Unaccustomed Earth
Jhumpa Lahiri
Progress: 282/333 pages

American Pastoral

American Pastoral - Philip Roth Reading some of the reviews on this book, I see a bunch of people saying that the book dragged in certain parts, but I never once felt this way. I really really enjoy reading Philip Roth. The way he brings his complex characters to life, and the way he's able to implement so many themes into a book, makes his books continually interesting. This novel touched on nature vs. nurture, capitalism vs. socialism, the "good ol' days" vs. today, and being an accommodationist vs. being a straight shooter. All of this is wrapped into a story line of a family, headed by a guy that always felt he was trying to do the right thing for his wife and child, ending up with a daughter entrenched in violent fanaticism and a wife pushed to utter despair. Basically, we see that no matter how good you try to be, and how much you try to protect against it, chaos is always lurking around the corner. The question is just how are you going to deal with it when it inevitably arrives?