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Indignation
Indignation | Philip Roth
16 posts | 25 read | 22 to read
Against the backdrop of the Korean War, a young man faces life’s unimagined chances and terrifying consequences. It is 1951 in America, the second year of the Korean War. A studious, law-abiding, intense youngster from Newark, New Jersey, Marcus Messner, is beginning his sophomore year on the pastoral, conservative campus of Ohio’s Winesburg College. And why is he there and not at the local college in Newark where he originally enrolled? Because his father, the sturdy, hard-working neighborhood butcher, seems to have gone mad -- mad with fear and apprehension of the dangers of adult life, the dangers of the world, the dangers he sees in every corner for his beloved boy. As the long-suffering, desperately harassed mother tells her son, the father’s fear arises from love and pride. Perhaps, but it produces too much anger in Marcus for him to endure living with his parents any longer. He leaves them and, far from Newark, in the midwestern college, has to find his way amid the customs and constrictions of another American world. Indignation, Philip Roth’s twenty-ninth book, is a story of inexperience, foolishness, intellectual resistance, sexual discovery, courage, and error. It is a story told with all the inventive energy and wit Roth has at his command, at once a startling departure from the haunted narratives of old age and experience in his recent books and a powerful addition to his investigations of the impact of American history on the life of the vulnerable individual.
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review
rachelk
Indignation | Philip Roth
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Pickpick

Marcus, a bright but intense young man leaves home to attend a conservative college in 1951 while fears of the Korean War loom large. Marcus is required (against his beliefs) to attend church services as part of curriculum, becomes entangled with a troubled young woman and has unpleasant dealings with several male students as well as the Dean. Roth packs shocking, ironic, comedic and tragic into one short, engrossing and thought provoking novel.

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anitanotherbook
Indignation | Philip Roth
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Mehso-so

An angsty book about a college guy with a neurotic father and martyr-like mother who tries to make them happy while making himself miserable. It's the 1950s and he wants to avoid having to go to war in Korea. I read most of it on vacation and it was a good enough book.

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Coleen
Indignation | Philip Roth
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Mehso-so

I‘m not sure how I felt about this. I‘d never read Philip Roth before, so wasn‘t sure what to expect. In some ways I thought the characterization was really well developed, but then at other times it was overdone. There was some rambling that could‘ve definitely been edited. And then the ending kind of came out of nowhere for me and I was left scratching my head. 🤔
I guess there‘s a movie....so I‘m curious to see that now.

blurb
MicheleinPhilly
Indignation | Philip Roth
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A stack of #orangebooks to raise awareness of the epidemic gripping the United States of America. More Americans were shot to death by March 6 this year than died on D-Day. It is beyond time for meaningful change. #GunViolenceAwarenessDay

britt_brooke Thank you for spreading the word. The statistics grow more alarming every day it seems. 💔 5y
Susannah That statistic is almost unfathomable. 5y
MicheleinPhilly @Susannah Isn‘t it? I actually gasped yesterday when I read it. 😞 5y
See All 13 Comments
Amiable I‘m so disheartened by all of what‘s happening in this country. 5y
MicheleinPhilly @britt_brooke And I fear we are becoming numb to it. I‘ve heard more about the 3 people who died at a resort in the Dominican Republic this week than the dozen people murdered in Virginia Beach. 5y
britt_brooke @MicheleinPhilly I agree. And I‘m guilty of becoming numb to it and I hate that. 5y
MicheleinPhilly @Amiable I‘m right there with you. And I hate social media for amplifying the darkness. 5y
Megabooks Wow. Very sobering. 😔😔 5y
CarolynM 💔 I wish you well in the campaign for gun control. 5y
BarbaraBB These numbers are unbelievable. Wtf is happening to your great country? 5y
LeahBergen Holy fu. Those stats. 💔 5y
Kalalalatja Those stats are insane 🤯 5y
youneverarrived Wow that‘s a crazy fact 😨 5y
67 likes1 stack add13 comments
review
scowler1
Indignation | Philip Roth
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Pickpick

Really enjoyed this one, wonderful tragic ending.

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vivastory
Indignation | Philip Roth
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LauraBeth 😂😂 spot on 6y
readordierachel 🔥🔥🔥 6y
MicheleinPhilly 🎯🎯🎯 6y
55 likes3 comments
blurb
Ericalambbrown
Indignation | Philip Roth
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This one is for you, Mr. Roth. Thank you 😢 #Indignation

Ericalambbrown Here‘s the link to the New Yorker article, should anyone be interested: https://www.newyorker.com/books/double-take/philip-roth-in-the-new-yorker?mbid=s... 6y
JoyBlue @Ericalambbrown Thanks for sharing the link. 6y
Ericalambbrown @JoyBlue you‘re most welcome 6y
20 likes3 comments
review
spanda84
Indignation | Philip Roth
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Bailedbailed

While the writing was superb, I couldn't take the main character seriously. He was indignant about religion, his father, and a more experienced girl. He wasn't relatable. Also, I was troubled by the depiction of homosexuality.

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PixieDust
Indignation | Philip Roth
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Pickpick

Absolutely loved this!! I saw the film adaptation which was very good so I picked up the book and I fell in love with it. It's very sad very relatable and a very quick read. Philip Roth has such a way with words truly gifted.

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tobsies
Indignation | Philip Roth
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"You be greater than your feelings. I don't demand this of you - life does. Otherwise you'll be washed away by feelings. You'll be washed out to sea and never seen again. Feeling can be life's biggest problem"

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sisilia
Indignation | Philip Roth
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Sunday afternoon

BookishFeminist I love this cover! 7y
8 likes1 comment
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Lo_and_behold_a_book
Indignation | Philip Roth
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Surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this book! But that's what books can do! #Indignation

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review
Notafraidofwords
Indignation | Philip Roth
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Pickpick

This was my 1st experience reading Roth & I hope it won't be my last time. This was a fascinating look at isolation, family and mental illness through the eyes of a young boy in the 50s. The war is a character of its own and kept me reading. As much as I loved it, this book is problematic especially in its depiction of homosexuality. I think he is grappling with all of that. I grew up in Newark and I loved that it was in this book as a character.

BookishFeminist Great review! I hadn't heard of this one by him, but I'm really interested in reading it now. 8y
TeR Isn't this a movie now? 8y
Notafraidofwords @TeR yes, it's playing in select theaters and it's gotten good reviews. 8y
See All 6 Comments
Notafraidofwords @BookishFeminist I think it's a great book to sit down and pull apart. But it's so problematic and imperfect in so many ways. It's hard to describe. 8y
Reviewsbylola I need to read this. 8y
Notafraidofwords @Reviewsbylola I liked it. It's also short so it took me only a few days. 8y
49 likes2 stack adds6 comments
blurb
BooksForEmpathy
Indignation | Philip Roth
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Saw this tonight. And oh man, it was good. Tense and smart and layered and the acting was immense. I have never read Philip Roth, but this is one of those instances where the movie leaves me with a huge desire to read the novel. I want to deepen my understanding of these characters and really get into their minds and spend more time in certain moments or thoughts that in a movie are too fleeting. This is a slow burn with a gut punch of an ending.

Notafraidofwords I want to see go this! 8y
42 likes7 stack adds1 comment
blurb
Notafraidofwords
Indignation | Philip Roth

I saw the trailer to this and picked up the book at the library since I've never read it. Has anyone read it? Any thoughts?

SusanInTiburon I did the same! 😂 Let's compare notes. 8y
Notafraidofwords @Susanintiburon so so cool. Will do. The trailer looks phenomenal! 8y
bookloversnevergotobedalone I saw the trailer also and hadn't heard of this novel. It sounds interesting. Looking forward to hearing what you think. 8y
17 likes2 stack adds3 comments
blurb
shawnmooney
Indignation | Philip Roth
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I've never read a Roth novel. Apparently, there's a film coming out based on this one so perhaps I'll finally fill in this reading gap!

GuiltyFeat Might not be the best place to start reading Roth. I would try Portnoy's Complaint or American Pastoral or The Plot Against America. 8y
squarepeginroundhole Portnoy's Complaint was my entry to Roth and loved it. if you want something short try The Dying Animal which I also liked but very different. 8y
Angelala007 I recommend Portnoy's Complaint as well. Loved it. 8y
BookMusings I really enjoyed American Pastoral :) 8y
SusanInTiburon I hated Portnoy's Complaint and swore off Roth for years because of it. American Pastoral changed my mind. 8y
16 likes2 stack adds5 comments