Philip Roth, one of the most renowned writers of his generation, hardly needs introduction. From his debut, 'Goodbye, Columbus', which won the National Book Award, to his Pulitzer Prize-winning 'American Pastoral', to his eternally inventive later works such as 'Exit Ghost' and 'Nemesis', Roth has produced some of the greatest literature of the past 100 years. And yet there has been no major critical work about him, until now. Claudia Roth Pierpont tells an engaging story even as she delves into the many complexities of Roth's work and the controversies it has raised. This is not a biography - though it contains many biographical details - but something more rewarding: an attempt to understand a great writer through his art. Pierpont, who has known Roth for several years, peppers her gracefully written and carefully researched account with conversational details.