Author of more than 25 books, Roth was a fierce satirist and uncompromising realist, confronting readers in a bold, direct style that scorned false sentiment or hopes for heavenly reward. He identified himself as an American writer, not a Jewish one, but for Roth the American experience and the Jewish experience were often the same. With horror, she discovered his characters included a boring middle-aged wife named Claire, married to an adulterous writer named Philip. Until his abrupt retirement, Roth was a dedicated, prolific author who often published a book a year and was generous to writers from other countries. For years, he edited the Writers from the Other Europe series, in which authors from Eastern Europe received exposure to American readers; Milan Kundera was among the beneficiaries.

Source: Irish Independent May 23, 2018 05:15 UTC