The author seamlessly weaves together Roth’s mercurial, self-mythologising personality with summaries of his extensive writings to produce a forensic analysis of the tortuous peripatetic existence of the author of The Radetzky March (bwl 80). Both Roth’s religion and birthplace (Jewish and Galicia respectively) haunted him, compelling him to deny, and escape from, both in endless self-deception and ultimately to a sad early death. A proper recognition of his exceptional literary brilliance was alas only achieved post mortem.
(Jeremy Miller - bwl 108 Spring 2023 ) |
