Plot Against America, The - Philip Roth

The Plot Against America was written by Philip Roth. It was published in October 2004 in hardcover. I waited to by the paper back copy that was published in September of 2005 by Knopf Publishing Group. I has 416 pages and it cost me $10.00 CAD. The ISBN# 1400079497.

My Review

I bought this book to read on my trip. THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA was written by Philip Roth. It was published in October 2004 in hardcover.

I waited to by the paper back copy that was published in September of 2005 by Knopf Publishing Group. I has 416 pages and it cost me $10.00 CAD. The ISBN# 1400079497.

Although this is a novel it is a first person narrative as Philip Ross looks back on his life.

My Review:

The plot takes place in the United States during the 1940 elections. The first shock came when Charles Lindbergh was chosen by the Republican to be their candidate in the elections. Philip Roth is seven years old and lives with his parents and Sandy, (his 12 year old brother).

The famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, (who's child was kidnaped and killed), was a know Nazi sympathizer. The Republican Convention took place in Philadelphia. He was running against the Democrat, Franklin Roosevelt. Lindbergh's slogan is ''Vote for Lindbergh or vote for war''.

Lindbergh won by a landslide and every Jewish citizen wondered if he would be a fair President or not. During his first national radio address he blamed the Jews for getting the USA into WW II. He felt he could negotiate with Adolf Hitler and when he wins he does.

Roth goes on to tell about what it was like for his family who lived in Newark, New Jersey and millions of other Jewish citizens during Lindbergh's reign.

Not every Jew is worried about Lindbergh. Sandy joins the OAA and goes to a farm in Kentucky to have basic training. Ross' Aunt Evenlyn is the assistant to Rabbi Bengelsdorf. He is the Director of the Office of American Absorption. There focus is to encourage the minorities in America to blend into to the WASP, (White Anglo Saxon People), majority.

What happens next? You'll have to read the book to find out.

What I Thought

I'm glad that Philip Roth used his family's experiences during WW II even though Roosevelt won the election. American's hated the war and they hated the Jews.

I thought this was a fabulous political novel. I can imagine how a family that lived in Newark, N. J. hid in the attic and tried to learn how to shoot a gun! A neighbor says, ''You gotta pull the trigga''.

I even laughed at the thought of the Red Baron, (Joachim von Ribbentrop), dancing with Hitler at a White House reception.

Roth is a master at developing a plot that is so interesting to read you won't want to put the book down.very His characters were interesting.

The Postscript

The last 29 pages of this book is where Ross explains the historical events.

My Conclusion

In the 1940 election there was a rumored that Lindbergh was going to be nominated. This novel shows how many of the influential people in America, (Henry Ford, the people who run the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and Father Coughlins who was the most highest though of Catholic), were Nazi sympathizers.

The book may be a novel but some of the fact of what it was like during WW II in the United States are true.

If you haven't read this book I hope you will.

Thanks for reading my review.