The Inheritance

Name: The Inheritance
ISBN: 9787532782253

Philip Roth / 彭伦Shanghai Translation Publishing House · ChinaJun 2020

4.4

Word count: 100K words
Chapters: 8
ISBN: 9787532782253

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Summary

Philip Roth, known for weaving large-scale novels into an epic of human nature, unexpectedly published a work of nonfiction in 1991: Patrimony: A True Story. The focus is no longer on the broad sweep of society or grand themes, but on Roth's recently deceased father, an ordinary, humble Jewish old man. In his final days, his life flowed like a river soaked in trivial memories, half-lit and half-dim before him and his writer son. The relationship between father and son has never been so intimate yet strange, so flesh-and-blood connected yet drifting apart. When a loved one's life enters its final countdown, all reflection and questioning, all fear and sorrow, press down until one can hardly breathe—even for a man known for his cold detachment, Philip Roth.

Editor's review

Philip Roth's Patrimony is not a novel about the inheritance of material wealth, but a deeply moving work of nonfiction that confronts the end of life head-on. In this memoir, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award, Roth records in cool, restrained prose the final years of his father, Herman Roth, as he gradually declines and dies of a brain tumor. Rather than courting sentimentality, the author builds a stark yet tender portrait of aging, illness, and death through a wealth of small, unflinching details—his father's embarrassment over incontinence, his increasingly blurred memory, his stubborn hold on the past. The value of Roth's writing lies in its duality: on one hand it is private and familial, a final reckoning and reconciliation of the father-son relationship; on the other, it transcends personal experience to touch on the vulnerability, dignity, and complex nature of love that all people share in the face of mortality. The book's redefinition of "patrimony" is especially profound—the true inheritance is not money or objects but the spiritual burden of resilience, responsibility, and memory that the living must carry and come to understand after a loved one is gone. This work demonstrates the most moving power of nonfiction: in its almost cruel truth, it reveals the existential questions we will all one day face.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who think deeply about family relationships, generational bonds, and questions of life
Literature lovers who appreciate a calm, nuanced, unsentimental style of nonfiction narrative
Those currently caring for aging parents or facing a loved one's illness who seek resonance and understanding
Readers interested in Philip Roth's work who want to see the more personal side of his writing

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a traditional novel with a twisty plot and strong conflict
Readers hoping for a light, escapist reading experience

Reading tips

Best read in a quiet setting where you can immerse yourself in thought; the book's dense psychological and detailed passages require patient attention.
Reading it alongside Roth's other fictional works (such as the American Trilogy) can give a fuller understanding of his recurring themes.
While reading, you might set the book aside for a moment to recall or jot down memories of your own parents; you may find extra insight there.

About the publisher

Shanghai Translation Publishing House China · Founded in 1978

Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.

版权信息
1．“那么，你怎么想？”
2．妈咪，妈咪，你在哪儿啊，妈咪？
3．我会变成植物人吗？
4．我得重新开始生活
5．也许英格丽能永远照顾我
6．他们抗争，因为他们是斗士，他们抗争，因为他们是犹太人
译后记

FAQ

Is Patrimony a novel or a work of nonfiction?

Patrimony is Philip Roth's nonfiction memoir, a true account of the final stage of his father's life and a very distinctive work within his oeuvre.

Is the book's subject too heavy and sad?

The subject does center on aging and death, but Roth's tone is restrained and profound, focusing beyond grief on dignity, memory, and reconciliation; its emotional impact comes from truth rather than melodrama.

Can I understand this book without having read other works by Philip Roth?

Absolutely. It is a standalone memoir that requires no background knowledge. It is, in fact, an excellent entry point for understanding Roth himself and his thinking.

Comments

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About the author

Philip Roth Author · American · 1933–2018

Philip Roth (1933–2018) was an American novelist, born into a Jewish family in Newark, New Jersey, and rose to prominence in 1959 with Goodbye, Columbus. His work often centers on the lives of American Jews while probing the tensions between identity, desire, and history, in a style that blends satire with self-examination. His major works include Portnoy's Complaint, American Pastoral, The Human Stain, Sabbath's Theater, and The Plot Against America, as well as nonfiction such as The Facts: A Novelist's Autobiography and Reading Myself and Others. He won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and died in 2018; the collection holds 33 of his works.

彭伦 Author

Peng Lun is an author active in the field of Chinese-language book publishing and editing. Publicly available information about him is limited, and details such as his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly documented. Four of his works are included in the collection: Legacy, Legacy (A True Story), Ordinary People, and The Paris Review: Interviews with Publishers. These works suggest that his writing and editorial interests center on foreign literature and literary appreciation, with particular attention to true stories, personal destinies, and interviews and experiences within the publishing industry. The Paris Review: Interviews with Publishers reflects his sustained engagement with the workings of publishing and the editorial perspective, while works such as Legacy and Ordinary People indicate a tendency toward documentary or narrative treatment of personal and family themes. Overall, Peng Lun's output is limited in quantity, but his work has a certain significance for the translation and introduction of foreign literature and for documenting publishing culture, and it may be of reference value to readers interested in literary documentary writing and publishing practice.