Everyman, Philip Roth


Sometimes all you want is a thin book to whip through while other things happen. That's what I was looking for with this book. Philip Roth is usually a reliable read - not an adrenalin-fueled page turner or the kind of author you read every spare minute you can, like over a quick bowl of soup at lunch, slurp stains and all (which is my new favourite time to read).

If a slim, steady-paced book was exactly what Roth was looking for when he wrote this one, then he hit the nail right on the head. Everyman takes you on a journey of one man's life. He's not a particularly likeable man, but certainly comes across as a realistic one. We follow his achievements - successful job, close relationship with his daughter, loving wife; along with his failures - infidelity leading to the loss of aforementioned loving wife, poor relationship with his sons, a lifetime not fulfilling his artistic yearnings. And while I think this was supposed to be the kind of book that makes you sit back at the end and say things like, 'damn I'm lucky with what I've got, and I'm going to work hard to keep it', or the more warm and fuzzy 'follow your dreams' type lines... it didn't work for me. Everyman read more like Everyman who is worried about being 'fat, fifty and fired'. So, to sum it up in one word - boring.