That Epic Book By That One New Jersey Guy

Jay’s lovable novel this episode is AMERICAN PASTORAL by Philip Roth, in which the hero, Seymour “Swede” Levov, struggles to understand his life in late 20th century America, and how the 1960s still reach into his family to trouble and unsettle him and those he loves. Chaos Reader introduces a new book she’s just picked up, one of Trollope’s Victorian-era Palliser novels, to fulfill her goal of having a long-book reading year.

NOTE: Jay erred when he called Swede’s wife, “Donna.” Her name in the novel is “Dawn.”