I just read a post written by old roan (Cath) that tickled me a lot and made me think of a book I am reading. "Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a beer gut and a bald head and think they are sexy."

The book is by Phillip Roth and is entitled Exit Ghost. The ghost is lingering desire after prostate surgery renders the hero at seventy both impotent and incontinent.
It explains really more than I want to know about both maladies.

At the beginning of the book, he exchanges his country home for an apartment in Manhattan for a year. He falls in love with the beautiful, cultured and wealthy woman who is one half of the couple who will live in his house. I am already confused by his profession of lust when he doesn't have working equipment. I guess like Fredo, I will just have to say, "But what do I know"

I am going to have to finish the book and find out what happens but I don't think it is up to his earlier work. I wonder it it is autobiographical?

Comments:

Hmm, from your description of the book and your last comment to Fredo, I guess I'll pass on this book. It's a good thing because I am backed up on my reading these days.

Well, if logic and clear thinking could solve obsession,
we'd all be home free. Meanwhile, the great line following
the publication of Portnoy's Complaint was, "I'd love to
meet Philip Roth, but I wouldn't want to shake his hand."

comment by tealstar on Aug 8, 2008 3:50 AM ()

I love your pithy comments. I finished the book and it didn't get better.

reply by elderjane on Aug 8, 2008 5:10 AM ()

I wonder

no idea...
Fredo is funny, isn't he?

comment by kristilyn3 on Aug 7, 2008 12:31 PM ()

I love Fredo's blogs and his "oh, what do I know?"

reply by elderjane on Aug 7, 2008 7:24 PM ()

Outside of Portnoy's Complaint I have not read any of his works. For a while there most of his titles were socio-political and I prefer fiction. Tell us how this one is!

comment by dragonflyby on Aug 7, 2008 11:53 AM ()

I finished it and thought it was a waste of time but the critics still love him.

reply by elderjane on Aug 7, 2008 7:26 PM ()

Got it.Portnoy Complained?Goodbye Columbus?
It came to me.The first one that I read was an autobiography
of Philip.

Sounds good.You have to give a review on this when your done.
Never heard of this one.Though I am not a Roth fan of his.
Think that I read one of his famous one earlier.That was
they made a movie.Damn cannot think of the title.
"Oh What Do I Know"

comment by fredo on Aug 7, 2008 11:40 AM ()

It really wasn't worth reading and it was sort of a book within a book thing. The dialog with his loved one was all in his head and his solution when he had convinced her to come to his hotel room was to flee. All this took place only in his brain. I thought he should have known it was an impossible situation from the first and to quit obsessing over her.

reply by elderjane on Aug 7, 2008 7:30 PM ()