Because Henry Roth's novels are essentially biographical, a literary biography of him was long overdue. Fortunately, this one is better than I would have expected: Steven G. Kellmann writes the life of Henry Roth with sensitivity and psychological insight, while never losing control of the latter category of analysis. First rate for those interested in this important American author.

Many literary biographies attempt to draw resonance from the author's body of work and find similar bubbles of meaning e.g. compare/contrast in the artist's life. Other efforts challenge the purity of aesthetic achievement with sordid list of crimes, establishing a delicious tension. Redemption is easily in the latter camp. This isn't like Paul Theroux's one-sided version of events agon V.S. Naipaul. No, Mr. Kellman likely didn't need to probe very deep to uncover the misogyny, the incest, the hectoring which stain his adult life.

I loved Call It Sleep, its palette of voices the snarl of misunderstandings, the hopeful bend towards assimilation and the knackered xenophobia both within and outside the shoebox homestead. Joel bought me the biography the following Christmas and it duly disturbed me. ( )