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| <b>Nathan Zuckerman</b> is the name of a character invented by the novelist ], and has appeared as the narrator or protagonist of (and often functions as an ] in) most of Roth's dozen or so works of fiction published since the late 1970's. | |||
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| '''Nathan Zuckerman''' is a fictional character created by the writer ], who uses him as his protagonist and narrator, a type of ], in many of his novels.<ref>, NPR, 25 September 2007</ref> | |||
| ==Character== | |||
| Zuckerman makes his first appearance in the novel '']'', where he is the product of another ficitional Roth creation, the writer Peter Tarnopol (making Zuckerman, in his original form, an alter-alter-ego). Zuckerman is given a less indentured form of existence, though, starting with the 1977 novel '']''; here he is the story's writer-apprentice protagonist, on a pilgrimage to cull the wisdom of the reclusive author E. I. Lonoff (a stand-in for ]). In '']'' (1981) Nathan is now an established novelist and must deal with the fall-out from his ribald comedic novel '']''. Though wildly successful (both critically and financially), the novel has brought to Zuckerman unwanted attention from both readers (who refuse to believe that the ]-like exploits of his creation, Gilbert Carnovsky, were born of imagination, rather than experience) and his family, who feel betrayed by the way he was mined their secrets in the service of his own career. The obvious parallels to Roth's own life as a novelist (with the novel ''Carnovsky'' a stand-in for '']'') signaled Roth's burgeoning interest in the relationship between an author and his work. Such ] concerns would be mined more deeply in Roth's series of 80's novels, most radically in '']'' and ''Operation Shylock'' . By the mid-90's, though, Roth would tamp down on the self-referentiality, and reintroduce Zuckerman as witness and narrator in a trilogy of historical novels: '']'' (1997), '']'' (1998), and '']'' (2000). Zuckerman would also make an appearance in ] 1999 novel ''The Ground Beneath Her Feet'', where in an alternate universe it is the literary alter-egos (and their novels!) that are real. | |||
| Roth first created a character named Nathan Zuckerman in the novel '']'' (1974), where he is the "product" of another fictional Roth figure, the writer Peter Tarnopol (making Zuckerman, in his original form, an "alter-alter-ego"). Discrepancies (including date of birth, details of his upbringing, and personal background) exist between the characters, leading most to consider this an early version, and not necessarily the Zuckerman around whom subsequent novels would revolve. In later books, Roth uses Zuckerman as a protagonist, starting with the 1979 novel '']'', where he is a writing apprentice on a pilgrimage to cull the wisdom of the reclusive author E. I. Lonoff. In '']'' (1981), he has become established as a novelist and must deal with the fall-out from his ribald ] ''Carnovsky''. Though wildly successful, the novel has brought to Zuckerman unwanted attention from both readers and his family, who object to their portrayal in his work.<ref>Metcalf, Steven. , ''Slate'', 10 October 2007</ref> | |||
| '']'' (2007) is the ninth book in the Zuckerman series, and is the last Zuckerman novel. The book explores Zuckerman's life as an older man, returning to ] after an extended period of seclusion in the ].<ref>James, Clive. , ''The New York Times,'' 7 October 2007</ref> | |||
| ==Analysis== | |||
| ⚫ | == |
||
| By creating parallels between Zuckerman's life as a novelist (with the novel ''Carnovsky'' a stand-in for his '']'') and his own, Roth expressed his interest in the relationship between an author and his work. Roth mined such ]al concerns more deeply in his series of novels published in the 1980s, most radically in '']'' and '']''. | |||
| By the mid-1990s, though, Roth tamped down on the self-referentiality. He reintroduced Zuckerman as witness and narrator in a trilogy of historical novels: '']'' (1997), '']'' (1998), and '']'' (2000), set in the period from the 1960s into the 1990s. The ] author ] used Zuckerman as a character in his novel '']'' (1999), where in an alternate universe, it is the literary alter-egos (and their novels) that are real.<ref>Patterson, Troy. , EW, 16 April 1999</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | * ]: |
||
| ==Portrayals== | |||
| Actors who have portrayed Nathan Zuckerman include ] (in the 1984 television adaptation of '']''), ] (in the 2003 film adaptation of '']'') and ] (in the 2016 film adaptation of '']''). | |||
| ==List of Zuckerman novels== | |||
| * '']'' (1979) | |||
| * '']'' (1981) | |||
| * '']'' (1983) | |||
| * '']'' (1985) | |||
| (The above four books are collected as '']'') | |||
| * '']'' (1986) | |||
| * '']'' (1997) | |||
| * '']'' (1998) | |||
| * '']'' (2000) | |||
| * '']'' (2007) | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ⚫ | ==External resources== | ||
| {{Portal|United States|Books}} | |||
| ⚫ | * , '']'' | ||
| * on ] | |||
| {{PhilipRoth}} | |||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Zuckerman, Nathan}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 20:33, 8 July 2024
Fictional character| Nathan Zuckerman | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | My Life as a Man |
| Last appearance | Exit Ghost |
| Created by | Philip Roth |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Religion | Judaism (non-practicing) |
| Nationality | American |
Nathan Zuckerman is a fictional character created by the writer Philip Roth, who uses him as his protagonist and narrator, a type of alter ego, in many of his novels.
Character
Roth first created a character named Nathan Zuckerman in the novel My Life as a Man (1974), where he is the "product" of another fictional Roth figure, the writer Peter Tarnopol (making Zuckerman, in his original form, an "alter-alter-ego"). Discrepancies (including date of birth, details of his upbringing, and personal background) exist between the characters, leading most to consider this an early version, and not necessarily the Zuckerman around whom subsequent novels would revolve. In later books, Roth uses Zuckerman as a protagonist, starting with the 1979 novel The Ghost Writer, where he is a writing apprentice on a pilgrimage to cull the wisdom of the reclusive author E. I. Lonoff. In Zuckerman Unbound (1981), he has become established as a novelist and must deal with the fall-out from his ribald comedic novel Carnovsky. Though wildly successful, the novel has brought to Zuckerman unwanted attention from both readers and his family, who object to their portrayal in his work.
Exit Ghost (2007) is the ninth book in the Zuckerman series, and is the last Zuckerman novel. The book explores Zuckerman's life as an older man, returning to New York City after an extended period of seclusion in the Berkshires.
Analysis
By creating parallels between Zuckerman's life as a novelist (with the novel Carnovsky a stand-in for his Portnoy's Complaint) and his own, Roth expressed his interest in the relationship between an author and his work. Roth mined such meta-fictional concerns more deeply in his series of novels published in the 1980s, most radically in The Counterlife and Operation Shylock.
By the mid-1990s, though, Roth tamped down on the self-referentiality. He reintroduced Zuckerman as witness and narrator in a trilogy of historical novels: American Pastoral (1997), I Married a Communist (1998), and The Human Stain (2000), set in the period from the 1960s into the 1990s. The British Indian author Salman Rushdie used Zuckerman as a character in his novel The Ground Beneath Her Feet (1999), where in an alternate universe, it is the literary alter-egos (and their novels) that are real.
Portrayals
Actors who have portrayed Nathan Zuckerman include Mark Linn-Baker (in the 1984 television adaptation of The Ghost Writer), Gary Sinise (in the 2003 film adaptation of The Human Stain) and David Strathairn (in the 2016 film adaptation of American Pastoral).
List of Zuckerman novels
- The Ghost Writer (1979)
- Zuckerman Unbound (1981)
- The Anatomy Lesson (1983)
- The Prague Orgy (1985)
(The above four books are collected as Zuckerman Bound)
- The Counterlife (1986)
- American Pastoral (1997)
- I Married a Communist (1998)
- The Human Stain (2000)
- Exit Ghost (2007)
References
- "Philip Roth's 'Ghost' Returns", NPR, 25 September 2007
- Metcalf, Steven. "Zuckerman Unbound", Slate, 10 October 2007
- James, Clive. "Falter Ego", The New York Times, 7 October 2007
- Patterson, Troy. "Book Review: The Ground Beneath Her Feet", EW, 16 April 1999
