by Philip Roth
“Arise, ye who refuse to be bondslaves! / . . . Indignation fills the hearts of all of our countrymen, / Arise! Arise! Arise!” That is what rages inside Marcus Messner since he heart the lyrics of teh Chinese anthem. – a Jewish boy, who wanted to be just a good son. Not that his Jewishness is the determining condition. As in many other Roth novels it serves as a vehicle for being different. Being different is actually easy if you want to be different. But it becomes a huge problem if you actually want to be a nice member of your society.
The story is located in the fifties during the Korean war. It tells you vividly about the zeitgeist of that time – especially in the American province. With today’s knowledge of history you understand why 1968 was necessary. Reading it I am happy that I did not live in the fifties; that means something since I grew up in a dictatorship.
A short sentence about the novel: perfectly crafted in time and how it awakens your emotion by being drawn into a life where emotion is oppressed.
The story is located in the fifties during the Korean war. It tells you vividly about the zeitgeist of that time – especially in the American province. With today’s knowledge of history you understand why 1968 was necessary. Reading it I am happy that I did not live in the fifties; that means something since I grew up in a dictatorship.
A short sentence about the novel: perfectly crafted in time and how it awakens your emotion by being drawn into a life where emotion is oppressed.
Facts:
English title: Indignation
Original title: Indignation
Published: 2008
