Philip Roth Unbound: Interview Transcript

Tina Brown: Yeah. And how are you feeling he’s doing now as President?

Philip Roth: I think he’s doing the best he can.

Tina Brown: What do you think of him as a writer?

Philip Roth: That’s a good book. Dreams of My Father, is that what it’s called? I read it with great interest, in part because it’d been written by this guy who was running for president, but I found it well done and very persuasive and memorable too.

Tina Brown: It’s actually 40 years since you wrote Portnoy’s Complaint. Have you managed to shed what you once called, “a reputation as a crazed penis?”

Philip Roth: I don’t know. You tell me. What are people saying?

Tina Brown: I mean, in some ways, you sort of went into retreat from that celebrity. Do regard that period as sort of a set back or as a necessity for you as a writer?

Philip Roth: I lived through it. It was only my fourth book. As you mentioned, this is my 30th book so that was 26 books ago. It did determine the perception of me for a long time as a writer. And I think it colored the reception to some other books. I think if you sort of extract Portnoy’s Complaint from my work, I would be read a little differently. But Portnoy’s complaint was a big marker. I don’t regrets about writing it or publishing it. I couldn’t have predicted what happened, which is that it became a huge, notorious success. But I think people who took exception to it at the time are mostly dead.

Tina Brown: Is that gratification?

Philip Roth: Yes. And it also is much less inflammatory to younger generations.

Tina Brown: Have you read Portnoy recently? I mean, 40 years later, how does it feel reading it now?

Philip Roth: Oh. I wouldn’t dream of doing it. Have you read it recently?