Portnoy’s Complaint
Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth is a reprint edition published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group on September 20, 1994. This novel, written in English and spanning 288 pages, presents a continuous monologue from the character Alexander Portnoy as he engages with his psychoanalyst. The narrative delves into the complexities of Portnoy’s life as a young Jewish bachelor grappling with intense sexual desires and ethical dilemmas.
Readers will find a vivid exploration of Portnoy’s internal conflicts, where his strong moral impulses clash with his sexual longings. The book addresses themes of Jewish identity and coming of age, providing insight into the protagonist’s tumultuous psyche. Through its unique structure and candid reflections, Portnoy’s Complaint offers a thought-provoking examination of the human experience, making it a significant work in contemporary literature.
Official synopsis Publisher
The groundbreaking novel from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Pastoral that originally propelled its author to literary stardom: told in a continuous monologue from patient to psychoanalyst, this masterpiece draws us into the turbulent mind of one lust-ridden young Jewish bachelor named Alexander Portnoy.
One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years
“Deliciously funny . . . absurd and exuberant, wild and uproarious . . . a brilliantly vivid reading experience”—The New York Times Book Review
“Touching as well as hilariously lewd . . . Roth is vibrantly talented”—New York Review of Books
Portnoy’s Complaint n. [after Alexander Portnoy (1933- )] A disorder in which strongly-felt ethical and altruistic impulses are perpetually warring with extreme sexual longings, often of a perverse nature. Spielvogel says: ‘Acts of exhibitionism, voyeurism, fetishism, auto-eroticism and oral coitus are plentiful; as a consequence of the patient’s “morality,” however, neither fantasy nor act issues in genuine sexual gratification, but rather in overriding feelings of shame and the dread of retribution, particularly in the form of castration.’ (Spielvogel, O. “The Puzzled Penis,” Internationale Zeitschrift für Psychoanalyse, Vol. XXIV, p. 909.) It is believed by Spielvogel that many of the symptoms can be traced to the bonds obtaining in the mother-child relationship.
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