The Human Stain

It is no longer a secret that I don't get along very well with the writers from the other side of the Atlantic. Our mentalities don't quite match and usually I end up with some complaints... However, since now in my adulthood, I have gone beyond my European education to acquire a bit of American (to be a cosmopolitan know-it-all and always), I continue my unrelenting attacks on American literature... And fortunately for me... because I discovered Roth and I admit that the two of us found it a delight... At least I did with him...

Although when I go crazy about a book, the case goes not to the second but to the third and fourth part, a few words about the story: Coleman Silk is a professor, formerly the dean of a small American university, highly regarded and of impeccable ethics... In one of his classes, he will make the "tragic" mistake of asking if two students who have never shown up in his class are'spookies'... However, the word'spooky' in the English language has a double meaning... "ghost" and "black"... The professor said it with the first meaning, some well-meaning people took it with the second... As a result, Silk is 'hounded' from his position, a'stain' is attached to him (let's say one of the stigmas), the burden is heavy, his wife dies... After spending two years in black depression and bitter anger, the professor one fine morning leaves everything behind him, thanks to the embrace (and not only...) of a 34-year-old illiterate cleaning woman (he is already 71 years old...) and other wonderful things begin, as far as such a relationship is ethical... and many - many other things...

I loved Roth's writing... It blew me away... The psychological portrayal of his heroes is unique... It touches on so many themes artistically, gives you food for thought, blows your mind... The story no longer has any meaning... What matters are all the things that the reader can take away...

I defer to the psychological portrayal of Les (formerly Fiona's husband, the cleaning woman), a veteran of the Vietnam War... I sympathized with him and understood him, ah! What a neurotic snake I am!!! (regardless of whether I agree with his actions...) What Apocalypse Now, what Platoon and American Full metal jacket... (ok you get my age...)

I defer to the psychological portrayal of Delphine Roux (the French chairperson of the department), although she left some gaps for me at the end...

American Jews, racial discrimination, socially unacceptable relationships, blood ties, the inner workings of universities, personal ambitions, internal conflicts and many other things are harmoniously bound in this book...

And all of this... with a secret that weighs on Coleman's (our hero's) back and ultimately his entire family, during the period when America and the whole planet has gone crazy with the Lewinsky scandal and precisely when President Clinton spilled his much-talked-about semen...

Therefore, I DEFER to the greatest living American writer (at least that's what the connoisseurs call him...) who has won all the awards, except for the Nobel... (he still has time... you never know!)

Ok, you're smart... you get what grade I'll give...

10/10 (unquestionable...)

**"The Human Stain": A Deep Dive into Identity, Secrets, and Society**

Roth's "The Human Stain" is a profound exploration of the human condition. It delves into the question of how much of our identity depends on what we choose to hide. What happens when the things we thought we had erased come back to destroy everything?

The story follows Coleman Silk, a renowned university professor and former dean. At 71, after a public scandal that drags him into the abyss, he begins to recall his life through the narrator, Nathan Zuckerman. The trigger for his downfall is the discovery of a racist rumor about him, but it's not just the accusation; it's what it reveals about his past.

As his life unravels, Silk forms a relationship with a much younger woman, Faunia Farley, whose past is also filled with shadows. The seemingly simple plot becomes entangled in a web of broken identities, lies, and irreversible decisions.

Roth's "American Trilogy," of which "The Human Stain" is the culmination, traces a narrative arc from the roots of the American dream's disintegration to its complete collapse. It then shows the consequences of that fall on the lives of individuals trying to survive or reinvent themselves in a broken nation.

"The Human Stain" is not just the story of one man; it's a portrait of a country devouring itself in its thirst for purity. Roth exposes the contradictions of late 20th-century America: political correctness turned into inquisition, racism in all its forms, the weight of youthful decisions, and the eternal dilemma between chosen and imposed identity.

The book is a powerful indictment of a society that judges without understanding, that uses scandals and rumors to condemn others. Roth's prose is fierce, his gaze unforgiving, and his story leaves the reader changed. It forces us to look at the uncomfortable truths within ourselves and in society.

If you're looking for a novel that will make you think, that will challenge your assumptions and force you to confront the darker side of human nature, then "The Human Stain" is a must-read. Because in the end, who can say they are free from their own stain?

It is human to have a secret...

Everyone knows... What? Why do things go the way they do? What? All that lies beneath the anarchy of the course of events, the uncertainties, the setbacks, the disagreements, the traumatic irregularities that characterize human affairs? No one knows... What we know is that, in a non-stereotypical way, no one knows anything.
You can't know anything.
The things you know... you don't know. Intentions? Motives? Consequences? Meanings?
All that we don't know is astonishing. Even more astonishing is what we believe we know.

PS: And that dance to the poignant notes of "The Man I Love"?
It's hard to get it out of your head https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xm9Bgmb...
(unfortunately the same goes for Nicole Kidman - Faunia in the film, but for opposite reasons!
non-se-po-guardà :D )

You come to me as a man. And so I come to you. It is a lot. But that's all there is. I dance in front of you, naked and with the light on, and you are naked too, and everything else doesn't matter.
It is the simplest thing we have ever done: it is the maximum.
Don't ruin everything by thinking it's something more than this. Don't do it, and I won't do it. It doesn't have to be more than this. You know something? I see you

Human nature often involves having secrets. We all wonder about the mysteries of life, like why things unfold as they do. The chaos and uncertainties that govern our experiences are baffling. No one truly has all the answers. Even the things we think we know may not be as certain as we believe. The unknown is astonishing, and sometimes what we assume to know can be even more so. Take, for example, that beautiful dance to "The Man I Love." It lingers in our minds, just like the complex relationship between Nicole Kidman's character and others in the film. The simplicity of a moment, like two people being naked and vulnerable in front of each other, can be the most profound. We should resist the urge to overcomplicate things and just embrace the beauty and truth of the present.

Just a few minutes ago, I finished reading “The Human Stain” by Philip Roth.

There are those books that insinuate themselves into your well-established nest of beliefs, ideas, knowledge, prejudices, and convictions - which you have painstakingly and scrupulously fortified over twenty years of school, family life, emotional falls and comebacks - and you already know that there is nothing more to be done. They come to blow everything up, and it's time to rebuild the house of cards of your identity from scratch.

These are strange, contemptuous books. You will never stop recommending them, talking about them, establishing comparisons, and above all, you will reread them. Probably right after finishing them, you will start them again. This is the fortunate destiny of books like “The Human Stain”.

My first Roth. Considered one of the greatest living writers, the happy victim of the almost annual Nobel Prize lottery, the unleashed, extremely talkative Roth. I have always had a reverential fear (I reassure you: there is no reason) towards these figures of literature. They acquire a familiar air, their name - read and heard everywhere - becomes almost a silhouette. Roth, in particular, with his final consonants, two arrogant dental fricatives, I always imagine him with a boiled wool jacket, colonial style, with furrowed eyebrows, leaning towards me like a big raptor but with an ironic gaze.

It so happens that the author Roth seems (and be careful, seeming is a cruel verb) to resemble extraordinarily the characters he portrays. I warn you, before writing I did not look for biographical information, nor reviews nor any type of material to support this thesis. It simply seems so. As a reader, I see that Coleman Silk is similar to his creator and the author simply limits himself, so to speak, to this work of continuous revelation and concealment of the mirror. He is so close, so close to the essence of the character that he must be him. We know that the writer must be an extremely skillful liar but since I don't believe in a portentous ability to dissimulate that is completely disinterested, I have to think that the demon to which Mr. Roth answers is of a personal nature. There is no way to go so deep into a character without there being something of you. And all that story about the need for a witness - because the account of the matter here is provided by the writer Nathan Zuckerman - is a big bluff and we are talking about a wonderful alter ego. In fact, of two: Nathan Zuckerman, the narrator of the events, and the contemporary Coleman Silk, in the part of the poor womanizer. The only witness is writing. The author, to protect himself, must invent masks but we all know what kind of egocentric narcissists they are, and it doesn't matter to us.

On the other hand, I don't believe that by working with fantasy, Mr. Roth would have been able to reach such heights of authenticity. The protagonist is therefore a formidable personality and so is his creator. Now we can enter the thick of the black forest.

Continua qui http://conamoreesquallore.blogspot.it...

How does one review a book such as this? I need to be extremely careful not to give anything away.

The Human Stain by Philip Roth truly fascinated me. Roth delved into each character with such meticulous detail that a less talented author would surely have been accused of overdoing it. He transitioned seamlessly between different subjects and people, but for me, the best part was the continuous stream of surprises he threw my way. There were moments that left me in awe.

This book is set in the mid to late '90s in America, a time when Billy Boy Clinton was involved in certain activities in The Oval Office. I still feel sympathy for Monica during that sordid episode. It was interesting to be reminded of those times, with great movies like American Beauty (when Spacey was still in his prime), the Spice Girls (still cool, especially Ginger), post-Soviet Europe, and the Internet really taking off. It was indeed a heady era.

The story is all about Coleman Silk, a Classics Academic who is married, has several adult kids, and is known as a leader in the academic community of Athena College in Massachusetts. However, recent events have led to him holding less senior positions within the college. In fact, he is experiencing a downfall, a disgraceful one at that. He is close to retirement age, around seventy.

Coleman is accused of using a racial slur when referring to some students. The truth of this accusation is rather unclear, but regardless, it has a profound impact on him and his reputation in the college and the community. This incident sets off a whole series of events that change his life and the lives of those around him forever.

Roth's style reminded me somewhat of John Updike. Now, I'm no expert on either writer, having only read one work of the former and two of the latter, but to me, the resemblance is quite striking. So, if you strongly disagree, please be gentle.

The characters in this book are truly the stars. They are complex and so very human. I challenge any reader not to identify with some (and it will probably be many) of the character traits or references in this book. I certainly did.

We spend a significant amount of time with Coleman (of course) and his parents, siblings, previous loves, and new ones. His family felt so real that I almost picked up the phone to call them. The author then dissects a fascinating woman named Faunia Farley, a janitor who is supremely sexy and one of the most resilient, interesting, and attractive (not just physically) characters. Then we get to know Vietnam veteran Les Farley, who is a complete mess. We also meet Delphine Roux, the chic, intelligent, highly qualified but surprisingly insecure boss of Coleman Silk. In fact, she holds a position previously held by Coleman, which seems like a recipe for disaster. The interaction between Coleman and Delphine is brilliant, and we've all seen similar situations before.

Roth constructs each character with such care, depth, and a wealth of history that I really understood who they were. I hope that makes sense. In other words, our actions are a product of our past, genetics, and environment, and that's how it seems to be in this book. Because we get to know each character on a very deep level, their behavior makes sense, even when it's atrocious. We don't have to like or support their actions or the person, but Roth gives us the tools to understand. That's what happened for me.

There is also the issue of how an institution of higher learning can engage in groupthink to the extent of ostracizing a peer and orchestrating the downfall of a colleague based on such superficial and flimsy evidence. I was surprised to see a group of people act in a way one would expect from a bunch of adolescents. Perhaps this is what colleges and universities are really like, or maybe it's similar to many workplaces.

If you're still with me, Coleman has a huge secret that is definitely worth waiting for.

This is a difficult review to write because there's no way I want to spoil Roth's clever traps and tricks. The depth of each character is such that a 500-word review can't do them justice. All I can say is that if you haven't read it, you must!

5-Stars

ps. I was so enthusiastic about this paperback that by the time I reached the end, the spine was in a sorry state, and I was losing pages everywhere! A word of caution to all potential readers :))

Set in the beautiful and historic region of New England, this captivating book delves into the life of a college professor.

He finds himself accused of making a racist remark during one of his classes. What unfolds after this accusation is blatantly unfair, which cleverly positions this book as a thought-provoking commentary on the extreme nature of political correctness.

The story covers a wide range of themes, including the Vietnam War, the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, racism, and the process of ageing, among others.

In typical Roth style, the narrative is rich, intelligent, and complex. At times, it can even seem like a passionate rant. While it may not be the kind of book you'd pick up for a relaxing read, it is undoubtedly hugely worthwhile if you're in the mood to engage with deep and meaningful ideas.

It challenges the reader to think critically about the world we live in and the issues that divide us.

Overall, this book is a must-read for those who appreciate literature that explores the human condition and the social and political issues of our time.

Απλά τρομερό!

This simple exclamation holds a wealth of meaning. It expresses a sense of horror, shock, or extreme displeasure. It could be used to describe a terrifying event, a disturbing sight, or a truly awful experience.

Perhaps it was a nightmare that left one trembling upon waking. Or maybe it was witnessing a crime or an accident. The word "τρομερό" (terrible) encompasses all these negative emotions and more.

When we use this phrase, we are communicating our deep-seated reaction to something that has deeply affected us. It is a way to express our feelings in a concise and powerful manner.

Whether it is in the context of personal experiences or in discussing events in the world around us, "Απλά τρομερό!" serves as a reminder of the power of language to convey our emotions and connect with others.

I blew it in three days.

I'm digesting it and then I'll comment.

Maybe I was too hasty or didn't think things through properly.

But now that it's happened, I need to take a step back and analyze the situation.

There could be various reasons for my actions, perhaps I was under pressure or had other distractions.

However, regardless of the cause, I know that I have to learn from this experience.

I will try to understand what went wrong and how I can avoid making the same mistake in the future.

It might not be easy, but I'm determined to do better.

After all, mistakes are a part of life and it's how we respond to them that defines us.