The Plot Against America

[Bill]

When the renowned aviation hero and rabid isolationist Charles A. Lindbergh defeated Franklin Roosevelt by a landslide in the 1940 presidential election, fear invaded every Jewish household in America. Not only had Lindbergh, in a nationwide radio address, publicly blamed the Jews for selfishly pushing America towards a pointless war with Nazi Germany, but, upon taking office as the 33rd president of the United States, he negotiated a cordial 'understanding' with Adolf Hitler, whose conquest of Europe and whose virulent anti-Semitic policies he appeared to accept without difficulty.

What then followed in America is the historical setting for this startling new novel by Pulitzer-prize winner Philip Roth, who recounts what it was like for his Newark family - and for a million such families all over the country - during the menacing years of the Lindbergh presidency, when American citizens who happened to be Jews had every reason to expect the worst.


<iframe width="120" height="243" scrolling="no" frameborder=0 src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=bookgrouponli-21&l=st1&search=Plot%20Against%20America%20Philip%20Roth&mode=books-uk&p=31&o=2&f=ifr&bg1=C6E7DE&lc1=082984&lt1=_blank"> <table border='0' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='120' height='243'><tr><td><A HREF='http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/redirect-home/bookgrouponli-21' target=_blank ><img src="http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/G/02/associates/recommends/default_120x243.gif" width=120 height=243 border="0" access=regular></a></td></tr></table></iframe>

Here is the link for Amazon.com, for our American members:

<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bookgrouponli-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0618509283&fc1=000000&=1&lc1=000099&bc1=CCFFFF&lt1=_blank&IS2=1&bg1=CCFFFF&f=ifr" width="120" height="240" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

(A quick note about these links. If when you connect to Amazon, it claims that it is not available, please persist. This is a quirk of the Amazon system. Click on the underlined title The Plot Against America and it will take you through to a page where the book should be readily and quickly available for a reasonable price.)

[Bill]

As I said in the Discussion Point, I think it would be a good idea if members stated on this thread if they are planning to take part in the book group discussion of The Plot Against America. Then we can have some idea of numbers.

I am also hoping someone will offer themselves up as a volunteer to help organise this, in terms of setting dates for discussions, setting up polls about possible future discussions etc.

[Leander]

How many are interested in taking part? How far has everyone got with this book? I think we should use the discussion point in the book club forum to discuss new ideas and then take a poll once a month? Any other suggestions? As for discussion dates - I think discussion could start after two weeks of the new book announcement and continue from there until the next book has been chosen???? what does everyone think? :)

[Lady Lazarus]

Hello, I'm reading this book! Only about 30 pages in, but enjoying it so far.
I agree with the discussion starting about 2 weeks into the month, that way quicker readers (of which I may not be one!) can get the discussion going.

[Leander]

So let's set a discussion date for two weeks from now - to give people chance to start reading - so say the week beginning the 24th Jan? Everyone happy with this? :)

[Lady Lazarus]

OK sounds good. I'm a bit disappointed that there are more people in the BookCrossing book group thread!!! Is it not better to just have one book group thing going on? or maybe people can dip into the two as they prefer the reading matter?

[Andream]

I read the book over the Christmas holidays and I am longing to discuss the plot, the characters, the writing and the themes with somebody else who has read it. It seems to be on everybody's reading list, but so far I've met few other people who have finished it. There are so many strands to this book that I think it could keep us going for months. Come on guys - it has everything you need for a book club: controversial themes and conclusions, a mix of historical and fictional characters and situations, an author with a reputation and bibliography that makes him a preeminent figure in the western literary canon, and a setting - just over 60 years ago, so probably in the lifetime of most of our parents - that was the major influence over the second half of the twentieth century.
I can't wait to get going.

[Leander]

it would be good to just have one going so more to join in the discussion but then its difficult to get everyone to agree with the same thing - ideally it would be good to have a massive reading group, all reading the one book to get a really diverse discussion going

[Leander]

We should just stick to the discussion date of the 24th Jan onwards for this book and start proposing other books for next month in the discussion point thread - once we have a few suggestions we can vote on the best one for next month - hopefully as we do this more people will join in - happy reading....

[Magwitch]

Hello everyone :)
I'm a new member (recruited from Digital Spy, like a few others I think!) and would like to join in the Book Club discussion when it gets going. But do we have to be around at a certain date or time? Or can we dip in and out during the week that the discussion starts?

[Lady Lazarus]

No as I understand it, you can just dip in any time from the 24th Jan onwards, which is when I think the discussion will begin.

[caldron]

I've had this book on request at my local library since I read a review late last year. A couple of days ago I collected it to discover I'm the very first borrower, yay!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading A.Scott Berg's biography of Lindbergh (simply titled 'Lindbergh') a couple of years ago and am looking forward to Roth's 'what-if' alternative history . . .

From my recollection of 'Lindbergh', the impression I had concerning Lindbergh's 'sympathies' with Germany lay more towards his admiration for their engineering skill and the advancements in methods of production which they had achieved (albeit in 're-arming' admittedly) during the '30's ~ rather than any pro-Nazism per se . . .
The 'isolation-ism' agenda Lindbergh pursued in America at that time was quite popular (as it had been in the early days of WWI) and still exists today in some quarters of US politics ~ Roth's book will be interesting I'm sure.

[Lady Lazarus]

Just wondering if anyone would like to kick-off the discussion? I haven't quite finished the book just yet, but will add my 2p worth when I do!

[Lady Lazarus]

Hmm, where is everyone??! :confused: I still haven't finished the book I'm ashamed to say, but this is due to recently finding out I'm pregnant, and not being able to keep my eyes open for more than 5 seconds without nodding off! If anyone else has finished the book, or is still reading it and would like to make any comments, please feel free! :D

[caldron]

Hmm, where is everyone??! :confused: I still haven't finished the book I'm ashamed to say, but this is due to recently finding out I'm pregnant, and not being able to keep my eyes open for more than 5 seconds without nodding off! If anyone else has finished the book, or is still reading it and would like to make any comments, please feel free! :D
*waves* I'm here Lady L :p

Sadly I'm in the same boat ~ well, not 'with child' (congrats! btw), but making slow progress with the book . . .

Just about to start ChIII (june '41-dec '41) and, on the whole, enjoying it thus far; although I do get the feeling Roth's belabouring certain points rather unnecessarily (imho) ~ I wonder who he thinks his audience is?

[Copperfield]

Just finished the book.
The end was certainly an anticlimax. It was interesting to be reminded that some americans were hoping that the Nazi war machine would reduce the communist threat in the 1040s. I found the politics very intriging and wonder about anti-semitism in the USA today.
The daily terror during the riots was quite revealing - something that some of us have no experience. I have a little insight of how it must feel to be Jewish.
I'm not sure if the 9 year old Phillip would have been so observant - he is obviously recalling events from a later period. I wonder if anyone else had any thoughts about this writing technique.
It is interesting to read the book during the 60th aniversary of one of the infamous death camps where a million Jews were murdered.
I did like the mixture of fact and fiction - I went off and read something of the historical background.
Altogether a thought provoking read.
Regards
Copperfield