Philip Roth Reading from Letting Go: From Great American Authors Read from Their Works, Volume 1

This recording, made early in Roth's career, is drawn fromhis first novel, Letting Go. Set inthe 1950s, it portrays the social constraints of the period as they affectseveral graduate students at critical points in their lives. The scene Rothreads shows the rather diffident Paul Herz confronted by two of his ancientrooming-house neighbors who have a favor to ask. As the critic John Ciardiwrote, "Three actors with separately trained voices could not have read itbetter. If Roth were not so good a writer it would be the world's duty to forcehim onto the stage."