REVIEW: The Plot Against America by Philip Roth

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
Publishing information; Paperback; 391 pgs
Publisher: Vintage; 5 Oct 2004
ISBN: 9781400079490
Standalone
Copy: Out of pocket
Reviewer; Tyson

Amazon

Synopsis: "In an astonishing feat of narrative invention, our most ambitious novelist imagines an alternate version of American history. In 1940 Charles A. Lindbergh, heroic aviator and rabid isolationist, is elected President. Shortly thereafter, he negotiates a cordial "understanding" with Adolf Hitler, while the new government embarks on a program of folksy anti-Semitism.

For one boy growing up in Newark, Lindbergh's election is the first in a series of ruptures that threatens to destroy his small, safe corner of America—and with it, his mother, his father, and his older brother."

The Plot Against America came to my attention when the 2017 Presidential Election came to a close as it was recommended on many different reading lists. The plot sounded interesting so I took a chance and picked up a copy.

The first thing you notice with The Plot Against America is that Roth draws a lot from the public figures of the time. It appears that quite a bit of research was done to bring them to life and work their way into the novel. In many cases some of the famous people of the time are mentioned in passing but other times they are featured prominently and are crucial to the plot. However, the book focuses on a Jewish family living in Newark, New Jersey.

As a professor of history I did enjoy the alternative time line and found it entertaining but there were parts where I found the plot slowing down. Roth would push through a series of entertaining events and then bog the story down as he took a break from the tale to focus on other things that honestly needed to be told but could have done in a way as to not slow down the book.

I particularly enjoyed the book's imagining of a fascist regime in America and I can see how many can see the parallels of the current administration's political moves. Using Lindbergh's popularity was an interesting premise for him to win the presidency and some of the events that he took part in after his transatlantic flight to build up his background and eventual run for the presidency were brilliant.

The Plot Against America is an impressive book but I think it gets bogged down with its creativity combine that with it's uneven pacing and it makes for an entertaining read just not a enjoyable read. While I think the book is worth reading, I found it a slugfest in parts and it made for a difficult read as I wanted to just get it finished and move on to something else.

Overall 6/10