The biography of a brilliant, lonely, generous, flawed and ambitious, persnickety literary legend

childhood sounded like it was fairly wonderful.

His parents adored him. When Roth became engulfed in controversy after publishing the novel “Portnoy’s Complaint,” the mega-best-seller that catapulted him to fame, his father was known to carry around a stack of paperback copies, which

“Philip Roth-the Bioghe would gladly autograph

raphy” by Blake Bailey for friends and acquain

(W.W. Norton, 898 pages, tances.

$40). Roth’s success came fast.

These days one of the His story collection “Goodbuzziest books on the bye, Columbus,” won the planet is “Philip Roth-the National Book Award — Biography” by Blake Baihe became the youngest ley. This enormous volume ever recipient of that prize. contains just about everyTen years later “Portnoy” thing you might have ever sealed the deal. Roth was wanted to know about the on his way to a prolific, stolegendary and rather conried career. troversial writer. Meanwhile his private

The subjects of most life was a disaster. Roth’s biographies don’t have any nightmarish first marinput into what ends up riage came about when

HeC being written about them. Bailey is that rare, fortunate writer who was not only authorized by his subject to write about him, he enjoyed unparalleled access to Philip Roth. Bailey conducted extensive interviews with Roth. had access to Roth’s private papers. And he was able to interview Roth’s living friends, relatives, colleagues, even former lovers.

It took nine years for the author to put together this book. He was not Roth’s first official biographer. The writer who preceded Bailey as Roth’s authorized biographer had not been up to it. By the time Bailey was given his opportunity, time was running short; Roth knew he wouldn’t be on Earth much longer.

Roth died in 2018. While he was still alive, he was considered by many Americans to be our greatest living novelist. Roth grew up in Newark, New Jersey. He was a Jewish kid in a mostly

Jewish neighborhood — his the woman he had just decided to leave after she pawned his beloved typewriter, then lied to him about it and deceived him again by claiming she was pregnant. But she really wasn’t.

Roth’s other marriage to the movie star Claire Bloom also turned out badly. After they split up Bloom wrote a tell-all memoir that made Philip Roth look like a horrible person — her portrayal dogged him until his dying day. Bloom’s account still shadows him, even in death.

It didn’t help matters that Roth was having a clandestine affair with another woman during the entire time he was with Bloom. Roth’s sexual appetites were notable. Bloom didn’t care to be interviewed, but Bailey was actually able to speak to the other woman who even wrote up a lengthy account of her affair just for Bailey to read.

To this reviewer the most fascinating aspect of Roth was his ability to transform his own life story into compelling fiction. Throughout his life people he knew would be constantly recognizing themselves in his stories. Some were pleased about it. Others, not so much. What a wonderful, creative, and ultimately sad life his was. Believe the buzz.

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