About this title: A writer named Philip who lives in London is having an affair with an Englishwoman. Both are married to other people and, later, when the affair is over and Philip's wife finds the manuscript of his new novel, she assumes it's a description of an actual love affair. He denies it, but in fact that's exactly what it is: the affair that inspired the novel he then writes. Philip Roth's novel, which is full of twists and turns that shed light on the many varieties of deception, consists entirely of dialogue between Philip and the various women in his life..
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date Published: 1990
ISBN-13:9780671703745ISBN:0671703749
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. Previous Owner's Inscription. read more
Edition: Later Printing
Binding: Hardbound
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Riverside, New Jersey, U.S.
Date Published: 1990
ISBN-13:9780671703745ISBN:0671703749
Description: Fine in Very Good DJ. Near Fine! Solid binding with crisp, clean pages. read more
Binding: Cloth
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Riverside, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Date Published: 1990
ISBN-13:9780671703745ISBN:0671703749
Description: Very Good + in Very Good + jacket. Hard Cover. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" Later printing, no remainder marks, light wear. (Store Display-GF) read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date Published: 1990
ISBN-13:9780671703745ISBN:0671703749
Description: Good in Good jacket. 39v add Ex-library. Books rated "Good" may have some notes, underlining, or highlighting. These books also may contain the previous owner's name, stamp, sticker, or gift inscription, or may be library discards. read more
Description: Fair. Dust Cover Missing. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Acceptable. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Edition: 1st
Binding: Cloth
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Many
Date Published: 1990
Description: Cover Art. Very Good in Very Good jacket. Hard Back. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. X-library with normal flaws.......The hard cover and the jacket has very light shelf wear...........The book may have minor flaws that may have gone unnoticed........... read more
"Something about "Deception" is reminiscent of Woody Allen's Scarlett Johansson period, beyond the high end London setting. Better books are hinted referenced or hinted at but obscured by thin plots and limited characterization. Like "Exit Ghosts" and "Indignation," Roth has grounded one book in another ("The Ghost Writer" for "Deception" and "Exit Ghosts" and "Winesburg, Ohio" for "Indignation"), without ever explaining why. In the end, the fundamental problem of "Deception" is that it never really explains the point of existence; Roth is often a frustrating novelist, but this is book is the rare occasion when he is inconsequential."
"The trend of my reviews on Goodreads thus far makes me think I am becoming less tolerant of literary experimentation and excess. I am aware of the fact that I have limited time to read, and consequently I want the books I spend time with to reward me in some way, either through entertainment or insight. In Deception, the only thing I found praiseworthy was the dialogue, but since there is little more to it than that, I found it easy to put down without finishing it. I enjoy good dialogue, but it matters to me not only how something is said, but what is being said, and the "what" in this instance was less than compelling.
Another barrier to entry into the world Roth creates in this novel is the distance I felt from his characters' concerns. Their unhappiness and issues seem like aspects of their lives over which they could exert control, but they choose not to. The frustration the female character expresses about her marriage and her inability to take joy in things sounded too much like the outtakes of a dull therapy session. And while I don't have the same aversion that some folks do to Roth's seeming obsession with the Jewish experience, it nevertheless becomes tiring to hear someone simply talk about it at length without gaining the additional perspective a more traditionally structured novel might offer."
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