The Facts: A Novelist's Autobiography

The book begins OK, except for the prologue which you can skip, the middle does drag, some of which I skipped, yet it ends with a potent zinger proving yet again this man knows how to write. He completely turns the tables on himself and thrashes his book which you had just read. So Roth gives us one version of the key settings and events that have shaped his writing, and then he writes this might be all crap and here is why. He pulls it off! I loved it! Only that muddling middle stopped me from giving it the big 5 rating.

Roth disarms his critics by getting his alter ego, Zuckerman, to comment. He concentrates of key elements of his life, and is particularly candid in his comments on his first wife and his response to her death. I felt a little sorry for the Boston University senior who got a few brief comments. She failed to set his imagination alight I suppose.I am not a fan but the clarity of the writing and the astute observations of himself and others make this a fine read for anyone who find human interaction intriguing.

I liked knowing more about his relationship with Josie, although I never understood just what it was about her that explained his distress over her presence. Also, the comments at the end by Zuckerman and his wife were bewildering.

I enjoyed reading Roth's memoir. It gave me insight into his experiences, formative years and what made him the writer he was. Although I would not want to be one of those people around him.

This autobiography seems to over think everything. Yet that makes it very interesting. It seems to be more like a train of thought than writing. It was worthwhile reading for me.

Roth lays out angst in a way that entertains and gives at least a breath of hope that things eventually work out. Meanwhile, he portrays life as a maze of "bad things can always happen" but the course is sure to get you to the end even if you must retreat from dead end after dead end. He did pretty well for himself. That's clear.

Great piece of Metafiction. Highly recommended for Roth fans and Zuckerman fans. Hard to put down. Fast read. Inspired me to go back and read Roth titles I missed, particularly Zuckerman titles, Counterlife, an early works like Letting Go. Roth far superior writer to today's formulaic literature. Those who like Roth should read Javier Marais.

I enjoy the story and the style of this book .I also enjoy Patrimony I'm reading at the moment . What I prefer is the autobiographical aspect of these books.

I have read all Philip Roth's books. He is a superb writer. This particular book I liked well.

He misses out an awful lot of his life. It is short and readable.

Very useful utobiography of this outstanding author.

Excellent!

Tendo lido mais de 2/3 das obras de Philip Roth, posso dizer que The Facts está longe de ser sua melhor obra. Livro muito arrastado, sem história nenhuma além de auto-elogios. Só se salva pela sempre excelente escrita do autor que, segundo minha modesta opinião, já deveria ter levado o Nobel de Literatura faz tempo.