Goodbye, Columbus Introduction

You know the saying "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree"? People usually use it to refer to children who are strangely similar to their parents, but the same could be said for some authors and their books. Goodbye, Columbus by Philip Roth is one of those books (or novellas, to be more specific).

Roth was born into a Jewish family in Newark, New Jersey, where much of the novella is set. Short Hills is a real suburb in New Jersey, and some of its residents didn't take kindly to the way it was depicted in the story.

Goodbye, Columbus is your classic summer-to-fall romance with lots of provocative social commentary and biting, yet tender, wit. The novella was first published in 1959 in a collection called—you guessed it—Goodbye, Columbus and Five Other Stories, which won the prestigious National Book Award. Roth was only twenty-six years old, and it was his first book. Talk about a homerun. Still, that's not to say it wasn't met with controversy.

Some in the Jewish community found Roth's portrayal of Jewish people in Goodbye, Columbus to be liberating because it showed them as complex, flawed human beings, but others were appalled at the book's Jewish characters. Only about fourteen years had passed since the end of World War II and the Holocaust. Many Jewish people were still reeling with fear that any "negative" portrayals of Jews could be extremely dangerous to Jewish wellbeing… and to be honest, we don't blame them for feeling a little wary.

But Roth was never one to hold back. Ten years later in 1969, he published his most famous novel, Portnoy's Complaint, which is notorious for its frank and hilarious depictions of masturbation.

When asked to explain his true-to-life portrayal of Jewish characters, Roth said:

The story is by no means about Jews. It's about individuals who happen to be Jewish. There is a kind of reverse prejudice that says all Jews are good, all Catholics are good, all Negroes are good, all any minority are good. (source)

This might be helpful to remember when reading Goodbye, Columbus.

Roth is still a controversial figure among Jewish people, and there is a fair amount of "love him or hate him" involved. He's received dozens of fellowships and awards, including the Pulitzer Prize in fiction for American Pastoral in 1997, and the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters in 2002. He taught English and writing in various colleges until 1992 and is known for his humor, daring style, and verbal prowess. A masterful storyteller by all accounts, he provocatively opens doors for discussions of civil rights, class, religion, sexuality, and just about every other hot-button issue.

 

What is Goodbye, Columbus About and Why Should I Care?

Goodbye, Columbus will satisfy those inner cravings for a poolside summer romance, while still engaging your serious side, the literary equivalent of a warm night spent looking at the stars… with Sigmund Freud. On top of that, most people can relate to the basic questions that drive Neil Klugman (the protagonist), such as "What do I want to be when I grow up?" and "What am I supposed to do with my life?" You've probably been asking yourself things like that since before kindergarten. Even if you've managed to find your calling, you might still, from time to time, question your choice and wonder if you should be doing something different. If all that isn't enough, you can read Goodbye, Columbus for the laughs. Roth uses everything from sex to language to religion as fodder for this brilliant comedy.