The Book I Read: Indignation by Philip Roth

In many previous novels Philip Roth's protagonists have been confounded by sex, the 1960's, Richard Nixon, facism, sex, graduate school, women, and sex. In the slightly over 200 pages of Indignation, set mostly at a small Ohio college in 1951, Roth hero Marcus Messner finds himself flummoxed by conformity, fear of being drafted, Protestantism, and of course sex. Marcus transfers to Winesburg after his attempt to go to college at home in New Jersey can't survive his overprotective father. Things don't go well at the new school, there are roommate problems and a date with a sexually aggressive woman. As verbally precocious as your typical Roth character, Marcus subjects us to a book-long rant about his bewilderment over the opposite sex and the oppressive chapel attendance requirements, not to mention the pressure to pledge a fraternity. Indignation is fun but minor Roth, Marcus is a little to neurotic for even a Rothian teen and the book's focus is too narrow to resonate for long after you finish.