THE HUMAN STAIN by Philip Roth

Coleman Silk is a classics professor at a small college.  When he innocently refers to some students that have never shown up for class as spooks, his remark is interpreted by some as racist, as the students are black.  Although he had no previous knowledge of the students’ ethnicity, he eventually resigns from his post, further cementing the appearance of guilt.  The irony of his plight is that Coleman is black himself, although he has managed to conceal this fact from his wife, children, colleagues, and friends for decades.  Near the end of the novel, his sister contrasts his behavior, in which he has divorced himself totally from his mother and siblings, with that of his brother, who has fought for civil rights.  Perhaps Coleman has taken the easy way out, in order to receive treatment equal to whites, but his whiteness is ultimately his downfall.  This aspect of the storyline captivated me, but another aspect did not.  Coleman enters into a sexual relationship with Faunia, a woman half his age, who is a member of the janitorial staff at the college.  Her ex-husband is a PTSD victim and is stalking her, putting Coleman in harm’s way as well.   I just didn’t understand what Faunia’s real purpose was in the novel, except to give Coleman something to live for after the demise of his career.  The novel is set against the backdrop of Bill Clinton’s impeachment hearings, and Coleman’s affair seems to mirror Clinton’s escapades--sort of.  Overall, though, the storyline is unsettling, making it a decent read, especially with Roth’s fabulous prose, except when the author does get a little carried away with ruminations, slowing the pace down to a crawl.