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Liked It3 of 3 members found this review helpful “Absolutely terrific. Roth does it again with this frighteningly plausible "What if?" novel. Specifically, what if Nazi sympathizer Charles Lindbergh had been elected President of the United States in 1940 instead of Franklin Delano Roosevelt? What seems a rather flaky premise becomes, in...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It2 of 5 members found this review helpful “Liberal rhetoric neatly wrapped in a reconstructed historical political thriller. Within the first 10 pages alone the author paints Republicans as anti-Semitic, Jew-hating, politicians. Furthermore, the author bashes a Catholic priest who's weekly radio broadcast called "Social Justice" as...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Intense,time worth spent.”
Applepudding wrote this review 4 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“loved this book. an alternate history book. ”
Josephine D wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A readable but not thrilling book, though. Book ingredients: an idea with everything to end up in an amazing and thrilling book; a plot about the darkest episode in contemporary history (Nazism); and potently juicy characters. Although having great ingredients, Roth built a disappointing story - What a pity. The whole story lacks more vivid events, and richer characters! ”
Eufémia Santos wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The normal proceedings of the 1940 Republican Presidential Convention were interrupted when Charles Lindbergh, the heroic aviator adored by millions for his pioneer solo flight across the Atlantic, arrived at the last moment and swept the convention, winning the Republican candidacy for president. As Britain continued to struggle to hold its own against Hitler's Luftwaffe, Lindbergh denounced President Roosevelt as a warmonger influenced by Jews, and won a staggering victory; the course of history changed. The Plot Against America is an alternate history novel about the Jewish experience during the Nazi-friendly Lindbergh administration. While grimly fascinating at first, the novel goes off the rails of plausibility 4/5ths of the way in and doesn't so much as conclude as simply comes to a stop.
smellincoffee wrote this review Saturday, March 31, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Roth makes the usual move of writing himself and his family into the plot: a young Phillip Roth is the viewpoint character, and the novel is presented as a memoir of his coming of age in a dark time for his family. Roth's alternate tale concerns social and cultural change, chiefly; the war in Europe plays only a background role, and judging by the novel's ending, comes to the same end as it did in reality. Where Roth succeeds is in believably portraying the slow growth of fascism in an American context. Lindbergh doesn't swap his suit and tie for a colonel's uniform and turn the United States into a slightly different version of an Evil Empire; he works instead on a more insidious level -- concealing fascism perfectly behind the flag and cross. While Jews in the United States are understandably alarmed by his election, there seems to be a genius behind Lindbergh's machinations. Rather than making overt moves against them, he waits for their sustained agitation to cause them to lose sympathy among the Christian majority..and then ever so-subtly fans the flames. It reminds me of the tactics of anti-labor politicians in the Gilded Age, who would manipulate strikers into taking forceful action and then send in the troops to brutally put down the uprest. The middle class then blamed the strikers for being violent against the state. More fascinating than this is the psychological tole the subtle war takes on the Jewish community. This is very much the heart of The Plot Against America. Not only are members of the Roth family turned against one another, but they begin to doubt themselves, and their love of country is slowly battered by the increasing climate of fear in which they must live.
Unfortunately, the novel's end doesn't do it justice. As the horror seems as if it can't get any worse, Roth writes that "just like that, it was over" -- and then quickly tells what happened in brief. Here he teases readers with a revelation that puts Lindbergh's entire political career into a more understandable context, but the revelation rather beggars belief. This would seem an appropriate time for a conclusion, but the faux memoir continues for almost another hundred pages, with seemingly no little point other than to tuck in a minor thread. The effort is appreciated, but seems out of proportion.
Probably worth your while if the alternate social history catches your attention: that story is definitely moving, but the ending is problematic.
”
“Lindberg alt. History. Rushed ending.”
Titus Oates wrote this review Wednesday, March 28, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Zombie Kitten said: 3 stars
1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die Shelf wrote this review Monday, January 30, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The "what if" premise seemed really fascinating, but I just couldn't get into the story and the characters. I like certain aspects a lot, and how the story played out seemed really realistic and frightening and I normally love the author, but I can't say I liked the book.”
“Disappointing ending.”
Tom Soderlund wrote this review Wednesday, November 16, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“A great hypothetical that provokes a lot of thinking.”
TexHoo07 wrote this review Saturday, November 5, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“One of my least favorite books ever. Premise is flawed in so many ways and at the end, the antagonist just disappears. Very disappointing. At times I liked the character development of the boy, but just when you'd start to get interested in the boy and his growing up and seeing these trying times through his eyes, the author would give a bunch of background to move the story along, but seemed formulaic. ”
Craig N wrote this review Friday, October 21, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
