Philip Roth

Philip Roth (b. March 19, 1933) is a Jewish American novelist. His first book, Goodbye, Columbus, earned him the National Book Award in 1960. But it wasn’t until the publication of Portnoy’s Complaint in 1969 that Roth gained widespread fame, adulation and, among some in the Jewish community, a certain amount of loathing.

Over the last five decades, he has become one of the most celebrated and prolific authors working in the English language. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his 1997 novel, American Pastoral.

His most recent novel is called Nemesis. It was published in October 2010.

The following is a list of awards Roth has won for his writing:

  • 1960 National Book Award for Goodbye, Columbus
  • 1986 National Book Critics Circle Award for The Counterlife
  • 1991 National Book Critics Circle Award for Patrimony
  • 1994 PEN/Faulkner Award for Operation Shylock
  • 1995 National Book Award for Sabbath’s Theater
  • 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for American Pastoral
  • 1998 Ambassador Book Award of the English-Speaking Union for I Married a Communist
  • 1998 National Medal of Arts
  • 2000 Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger (France) for American Pastoral
  • 2001 PEN/Faulkner Award for The Human Stain
  • 2001 Gold Medal In Fiction from The American Academy of Arts and Letters
  • 2001 WH Smith Literary Award for The Human Stain
  • 2002 National Book Foundation’s Award for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters
  • 2002 Prix Médicis Étranger (France) for The Human Stain
  • 2003 Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Harvard University
  • 2005 Sidewise Award for Alternate History for The Plot Against America
  • 2005 James Fenimore Cooper Prize for Best Historical Fiction for The Plot Against America
  • 2006 PEN/Nabokov Award for lifetime achievement
  • 2007 PEN/Faulkner Award for Everyman
  • 2007 PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction
  • 2010 Paris Review’s Hadada Prize

Articles about Philip Roth:

Posted on June 17, 2008 by Steve Pollak

To read the Pacific Northwest, turn to Malamud

The Guardian published an interesting piece this weekend about what to read while “going on holiday this summer.” The article was a survey of opinions from prominent writers about what books they recommend as “perfect literary travelling companions.” I was … Continue reading

Posted on June 4, 2008 by Steve Pollak

Campaign 2008: Candidates discuss … Philip Roth?

I just finished reading Jeffrey Goldberg’s interviews with Barack Obama and John McCain. And while I enjoyed reading about the two presidential candidates’ policies regarding Israel, Iran and the Middle East in general, I was amused by their differing stances … Continue reading

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Steve Pollak

Pénélope Cruz in film adaptation of Roth novella

Here at Jewish Literary Review, we don’t often have an excuse to put up a picture of Pénélope Cruz. But today happens to be the rare exception. Ms. Cruz stars in a new film adaptation of the 2001 Philip Roth … Continue reading

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Steve Pollak

Judging Michael Chabon by his covers

You know the old saying about not judging a book by its cover. Well, the graphic design group Fwis does judge a book by its cover. But, they’re design professionals so they look at things differently. Each week, they write … Continue reading

Posted on December 3, 2007 by Steve Pollak

Revisiting "The Ghost Writer"

Having just finished reading “Exit Ghost,” Philip Roth‘s ninth and possibly final Nathan Zuckerman novel, I decided to go check out “The Ghost Writer,” the first book in this remarkable series. The action in the book (which is included in … Continue reading

Posted on November 26, 2007 by Steve Pollak

Review: Philip Roth’s "Exit Ghost"

Why does Philip Roth infuse his books with veiled autobiographical references and then rebuke readers and critics for trying to connect the dots between his fiction and his real life? That’s one of the vexing central questions of this remarkable … Continue reading

Posted on November 22, 2007 by Steve Pollak

Two (somewhat) literary takes on Annapolis

I typically stay away from politics on this blog but I found two well written essays that I enjoyed reading and I believe they balance each other out politically. Even though they come from differing political perspectives, both share a … Continue reading

Posted on November 21, 2007 by Steve Pollak

These authors have reason to give thanks

There were quite a few Jewish Literary Review alums who made the New York Times list of “100 Notable Books of the Year.” The Times mentioned several books previously discussed or reviewed on this blog, including Michael Chabon‘s “The Yiddish … Continue reading

Posted on November 16, 2007 by Steve Pollak

Friday open thread: Wiesel, Roth, more Mailer

Here are a few items from around the Web this week: • The New Jersey man accused of attacking Elie Wiesel at a San Francisco hotel has been ordered to stand trial. • Sarah Kerr gives her take on Philip … Continue reading

Posted on September 26, 2007 by Steve Pollak

Philip Roth speaks in this week’s New Yorker

Philip Roth spoke with author Hermione Lee in this week’s New Yorker (link to article unavailable). Most of the interview focused on Roth’s new novel, “Exit Ghost,” but there were references to his other books as well. The new novel … Continue reading

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