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Title: Roth humanizes the tough historical subjects
Review: I admire writers who can take controversial historical and political issues and turn them into human dramas -- giving readers a sense of what made them controversial in the first place.Roth's recent novels may be tough, sometimes angry, in tone, but they show the mark of a master craftsman and the wisdom of a mature artist. "I Married a Communist" tells only one story about postwar radicalism, but it illumines the issue and helps put a human face on it. This book should be on American history reading lists for high school & college kids who don't get what the McCarthy era was about.By the way -- why do people care that Roth may have used some of this story to settle a score with his ex-wife? I find the book compelling and realistic. I'm not going to censor my enjoyment by condemning the author as a "naughty boy." This gives me no particular pleasure. Of course, if it gives you pleasure you might want to read "The Human Stain..."
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