Philip Milton Roth, who gained critical attention with his novella 'Goodbye, Columbus' in 1959 is a renowned American novelist. The book paints a humorous picture of an average Jew's life that fetched him the U.S. National Book Award in the category of fiction. A majority of Roth's fiction works are set against the background of New Jersey and Newark. As a writer, he has a supple, ingenious style. His autobiographical descriptions and social philosophy blurs the distinction between fiction and reality. Roth's publication "Portnoy's Complaint" (1969) is a psychoanalytical monologue of a lust-ridden Jewish bachelor who's addicted to young mothers. Despite being humorous, he was criticized for the sexually explicit content, use of abusive language and shameful details. Roth's most popular character Nathan Zuckerman portrays his fictional alter ego and appeared in several novels including the Human Stain. He earned the National Book Award for Goodbye, Columbus (1960), the Pulitzer Prize for American Pastoral (1997) and the National Book Critics Circle award. He won PEN/Faulkner Award three times in his life, UK's WH Smith Literary Award and the Franz Kafka Prize at Prague. He also won the Man Booker International Prize for his lifetime achievement in fiction. Roth, who's an incredibly talented literary troublemaker, explores uncomfortable family and cultural issues to inspire the youth with his work. We’ve collected some of the most “optimistic” quotes penned by Philip Roth, one of America’s most celebrated and thematically grim novelists. Presenting a collection of Philip Roth quotes that have been lifted from his novels, writings and sayings!
Literature takes a habit of mind that has disappeared. It requires silence, some form of isolation, and sustained concentration in the presence of an enigmatic thing.
Philip Roth
You tasted it. Isn't that enough? Of what do you ever get more than a taste? That's all we're given in life, that's all we're given of life. A taste. There is no more.
I am marked like a road map from head to toe with my repressions. You can travel the length and breadth of my body over superhighways of shame and inhibition and fear.
Nothing bad can happen to a writer. Everything is material.
Philip Roth
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.