The Human Stain by Phillip Roth

Now I began this book already knowing the “big secret” that is revealed about halfway through. I should note that although aware of the existence of a movie version, I had not seen it, nor did I know anyone who had. The reason I picked this book up was because it was 99 cents at my local Good Will Store (thrift stores, the underutilized place for funky clothes, cheap books, and weird knickknacks, I suggest you check out yours other then just around Halloween), for that price, it has to be a book worth reading. Apparently, I was wrong.

Roth is a writer of dense, detailed prose that contain multi-layered information for the reader. Being that this was my first experience with this world reknown author I felt it was only fair that I give credit where credit is due. The story is about a Dean of Faculty, Coleman Silk, who is dismissed under a shadow of disgrace for making a comment that is purposely seen to be racist in nature. That the protagonist should been misunderstood to make such a remark when it is precisely against his own nature is the irony of this story. It is also very much the tragedy of it. To see that a man would rather live with dishonor then expose himself as a liar due to the shame in his lie is a tricky situation to write with all of the transitory emotions that are involved. Roth is masterful with his creation of men and women who are very much not what they seem on the outside.

Despite the masterful storytelling, I still found this book to be too difficult for the audience to find someone to identify with. The accessibility factor was low with so many different moralities at play and yet Roth tried to use his alter ego, Nathan Zuckerman, from I Married a Communist and American Pastoral. Having not read those books, I cannot comment on whether this would’ve been an easier read if I was already familiar with one of the main characters. Regardless of my feelings about this book, I am currently halfway through The Plot Against America, also by Roth, and admit that I am incredibly thrilled by the poetic and heartfelt writing. Once I finish look for my review of that novel here.