THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL by Philip Roth

Philip Roth’s novels are hit or miss, and this one is a definite miss for me.  His great American novel is about the great American pastime—baseball.  Although I watch a lot of baseball, this book did not resonate with me at all.  It’s more of a satire than an homage, and the LOL moments are too few and far between.  It’s the story of a fictional third league, the Patriot League, which includes a team of misfits known as the Ruppert Mundys.  The Mundys are obliged to play all of their games away during the 1943 season, because the War Department has commandeered their ballpark.  The disadvantage of never having a home game is compounded by the fact that two of the team’s players are missing limbs, along with one too old to stay awake for nine innings, and one outfielder who frequently concusses himself by running into the wall.  Their star player is playing for free on the worst team in the league, because his father desperately wants to curb his son’s arrogance with a generous dose of humility.  Political correctness does not live here, as the author skewers everyone, regardless of religion, political leaning, gender, or disability.  I realize that it’s intended as a farce and not something you’re really going to sink your teeth into, but the whole thing is just too ridiculous and unpleasant.  I think this book would have been more entertaining if there were an underdog worth cheering on, but instead we just have a lot of losers, in more ways than one.