'Reading' Roth audio book has pros, cons

Listening to an audio book is more satisfying than reading a book in some ways — and less satisfying in others.

This week I listened to the audio version of Philip Roth's most recent novel, "Exit Ghost," (Recorded Books Direct unabridged with seven CDs) the ninth novel in Roth's series about fiction writer Nathan Zuckerman.

Roth, one of the legendary novelists of 20th century America, has written numerous books and has won many awards, including the Pulitzer Prize.

Turning 75 this month, Roth, who was born and bred in New Jersey, wrote such popular novels as "Portnoy's Complaint" and "Goodbye, Columbus" in his early years, and in later years, "I Married a Communist," "The Human Stain" and "The Dying animal." And he did it all while teaching creative writing at several universities.

Much of Roth's work is autobiographical or at least inspired by his own experiences. He is often concerned with political issues, which is why "The Plot Against America," an alternate history in which he imagines aviator Charles Lindbergh defeating Franklin D. Roosevelt for the presidency, is one of his most intriguing works.

In 1990, Roth married the Shakespearean actress Claire Bloom, but they were later divorced. Bloom then wrote a memoir, "Living in a Doll's House," that discussed Roth in an unfavorable light.

All these things are important if you're reading or listening to Roth, because you often try to figure out where the author's life intersects with his subject. In "Exit Ghost," Roth updates us on Zuckerman, the 71-year-old novelist who has been living as a recluse for 11 years before deciding to return to New York and join the living.

He suffers from incontinence and impotence since his bout with prostate cancer but still finds himself very attracted to women. You have the feeling that Roth, too, struggles with the issues of loneliness and the aging process.

When Zuckerman returns to the city, he faces three issues. First, he answers an ad to trade his hideaway home for a New York apartment for a year and meets a young married woman named Jamie with whom he is immediately infatuated.

Second, he has long been inspired by a now deceased Jewish novelist named E.I. Lonoff who has been essentially forgotten as a writer. Zuckerman meets a brash young man named Richard Kliman who proposes writing a biography of Lonoff to expose "a great secret" about his life.