Rating: 
Summary: A solid, memorable work
Review: "The Ghost Writer" is not a towering work of a literature and is probably destined to be overshadowed by some of Roth's more well-known and outrageous literary experiments. Yet nonetheless, it is a lean, engrossing, flawlessly-written book with striking passages on nearly every page. The simple thought-experiment Roth undertakes here is nothing short of brilliant and the characters are all beautifully realized. There is not an aspiring writer out there who will not enjoy this book and sympathize with its narrator, Nathan Zuckerman. "The Ghost Writer" is not a tour-de-force; it is not breathtaking or overly-profound. It's just a good read, pure and simple--a very solid exploration of the relationship between fact and fiction, and probably the most well-written book of Roth's I've read so far.
Rating:
Summary: DIFFICULT BUT REWARDING.
Review: Ghost Writer, is a small on length, but big on story. Philip Roth, is a writers' writer, in my opinion. The novel is told in four parts. The first part revolves around the character of Nathan Zuckerman, an aspiring writer who has the opportunity to meet and chat with E.I. Lonoff an older well established writer, (I feel Roth is referencing Saul Bellow) whom Zuckerman has a extreme fondness for. We see how Nathan tries to impress the famous writer by telling Mr. Lonoff what he wants to hear (or thinks he wants to hear) and by trying to appear intelligent, so is essence Zuckerman is creating his own brand of fiction to keep the attention of Mr. Lonoff.The second part, we are shown how Nathan Zuckerman deals with his family and friends, concerning a few short stories he is about to have published in New York Magazine. These stories poke certain fun at Nathan's immediate family, and his Mother and Father are concerned about the implications that might arise from this happening. (I feel this is how Roth was treated by his family from the publication of his book Goodbye, Columbus.) Zuckman's mother pleads with him to change the stories so not to make his Jewish relatives appear so neurotic, but Zuckerman, doesn't see it that way and believes that the truth is the truth. We are all human, regardless of religion, and people will do stupid things from time to time. This is what Zuckman is trying to relay to his parents and with that said the stories will remain as is. The third part, and by far the most interesting part, is where we meet and learn of the character of Amy, a Dutch Jew, who after the war arrived in New York and ended up being befriended with Mr. Lonoff. A little too friendly I'm afraid which then causes friction between Mrs. Lonoff and her husband. But here is were the meat of the novel lies. In a nut shell, Roth proposes the question; if only for a moment, what if Anne frank wasn't killed in Europe? what if she is living in New York and doesn't lead on that she is indeed Anne Frank. I was lost for a moment, but managed to see the truth ring out. This is great writing and a marvelous idea. And finally the forth part, deals with Mr. Lonoff and his Wife which is somewhat comical and not altogether as interesting as the others. I must say for a novel that is only 180 pages, I got so much out of Ghost Writer. Philip Roth is not an easy author to read, and I would recommend him to the faint of heart or those not serious about reading. I will say that the material is heavy and short which makes it a perfect book to devour in a few days time. I will need to read this book every ten years to appreciate its simple complexities.
Rating: 
Summary: Truly, the "madness of art"
Review: In "The Ghost Writer", Philip Roth explores the tension between literature and life through the eyes of Nathan Zuckerman, who looks back to his younger days when as a budding writer, he meets for the first time his literary idol, E.I.Lonoff, his wife Hope and a young girl (Amy Bellette) who appears to be Lonoff's house guest. With great skill and imagination, Roth draws us into the intriguing debate on the responsibility of an artist towards society. Is Nathan morally on safe grounds to publish a novel about the life of his family when he knows that the dirty linen he exposes will cause offence to his relatives and his community ? Is Lonoff (a literary giant though he is) deserving of Nathan's worship when he is willing to spend his entire life "writing and rearranging sentences" but shamelessly neglects his long suffering wife and children ? Are the artist's rights in the name of truth and art ultimately a selfish privilege which asks that we blind ourselves to the larger costs, whatever they are ? These are difficult issues concerning the "madness of art" which Roth handles subtly and without seeming pedentic or preachy. The last section of the novel is an absolute gem. It develops unexpectedly into a teaser which sets up a head-on collision between art and life and leaves the reader wondering about the true identity of Amy. Roth has written a highly intelligent novel that will surely stand the test of time. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: "What do I know, other than what I can imagine?"
Review: Philip Roth, in this first of the Nathan Zuckerman novels, published in 1979, introduces Nathan as a twenty-three-year-old graduate of the University of Chicago who has had four short stories published and is looking for a mentor. Having contacted famed writer E. I. Lonoff, a writer living in rural New England with his wife of 35 years, he has accepted Lonoff's invitation to visit, but a snowstorm arises and Zuckerman finds himself spending the night with Lonoff and his wife. His observations about the life of Lonoff leads him to imagine many stories--about Lonoff's past, his possible relationship with a young former student, and about his life in the countryside. In addition, Zuckerman also reminisces about his own past, his relationships with his family, his feelings toward his own writing, his possible obligations to Jewish history, and the imagined past of Amy, Lonoff's former student, who resembles Anne Frank.
Though Zuckerman is full of hopes for a broader relationship with Lonoff, he soon discovers that his idol is a petulant and insecure man who has used and, in some cases, emotionally abused, those around him, all in the name of "art." Spending a sleepless winter night on the couch in Lonoff's den, Zuckerman investigates Lonoff's library, especially Lonoff's collection of the writings of Henry James, whom Lonoff admires so much, tries to write a letter to his estranged father (who is appalled by one of Nathan's recent short stories, which, he feels, feeds anti-Semitic prejudice), and ponders the relationship between genuine creativity, editing and revision, and the possible responsibilities of a writer beyond his own creative impulse.
A story about the writing of stories, this novella explores the fictional lives writers create from their own lives and the sacrifices they make. As Lonoff's wife says of Lonoff, "Not living is what he makes his beautiful fiction out of." Lonoff himself says, "I turn sentences around...That's my life." And Henry James says in a motto Lonoff has framed in his den, "We give what we have. Our doubt is our passion and passion is our task." When Zuckerman leaves Lonoff's house the next morning, he no longer sees Lonoff as an idol, but Zuckerman is still committed to his destiny as a writer, anxious to go to a writers' retreat to work on some new stories. Thoughtful, imaginative, and great fun to read, The Ghost Writer is one of Roth's most tightly organized and revelatory works, essential reading for anyone interested in the creative process. Mary Whipple
Rating:
Summary: Do writers have a responsibility to society? YES!
Review: Philip Roth, more than any other author living today, has the power to take your breath away with a single sentence, sometimes a single word. There is an intelligence and beauty to his prose that is, at times, simply stunning. The Ghost Writer is no exception. In it, Roth begins with a relatively simple plot - the young Nate Zuckerman, an aspiring writer, spends an evening with the renowned author E.I. Lonoff, in hopes of adopting the latter as a literary mentor. From there, and in only 180 pages, Roth embarks on a tour de force that explores the nature of a writer's responsibility to society. The three main characters in the novel are all authors, and Roth masterfully juxtaposes their differing approaches to their work. Zuckerman resents his family's insistence that he not publish a story that they feel negatively portrays Jewish stereotypes (and his own family members, no less). Feeling no moral responsibility in a larger context, his views are juxtaposed against a famous writer who feels his life's work has had no profound impact and has been little more than a meaningless intellectual exercise. And both of them pale in comparison to the social ramifications of the writings of Ann Frank, who plays a prominent role as a character. In this way, Roth confirms the importance and value of literature as a social and political force. And who better to make this argument than one of the most important and influential prose writers of the 20th century?
Rating:
Summary: Do writers have a responsibility to society? YES!
Review: Philip Roth, more than any other author living today, has the power to take your breath away with a single sentence, sometimes a single word. There is an intelligence and beauty to his prose that is, at times, simply stunning. The Ghost Writer is no exception. In it, Roth begins with a relatively simple plot - the young Nate Zuckerman, an aspiring writer, spends an evening with the renowned author E.I. Lonoff, in hopes of adopting the latter as a literary mentor. From there, and in only 180 pages, Roth embarks on a tour de force that explores the nature of a writer's responsibility to society. The three main characters in the novel are all authors, and Roth masterfully juxtaposes their differing approaches to their work. Zuckerman resents his family's insistence that he not publish a story that they feel negatively portrays Jewish stereotypes (and his own family members, no less). Feeling no moral responsibility in a larger context, his views are juxtaposed against a famous writer who feels his life's work has had no profound impact and has been little more than a meaningless intellectual exercise. And both of them pale in comparison to the social ramifications of the writings of Ann Frank, who plays a prominent role as a character. In this way, Roth confirms the importance and value of literature as a social and political force. And who better to make this argument than one of the most important and influential prose writers of the 20th century?
Rating: 
Summary: Very convoluted and unstructured, even for Roth
Review: Roth is not the typical author. He doesn't subscribe to conventional wisdom of beginning, climax, conclusion, etc. He concentrates on characters, issues and dialogue. This book, however, didn't seem to satisfy me. Though this novel is short, he delves into a serious subject of whether artists are responsible for society, themselves, or art itself. Roth describes how Nathan Zuckerman, a promising new author, meets and stays with one of his idols in American literature. The conversation seems to lag, and gets to the point in a roundabout and unreal way. Roth then presents a flashback of how Zuckerman had to sacrifice his family relationship for the sake of publishing one story concerning his family and Jewish heritage. Then things took a turn for the worse, when Roth incorporates a wild personal narrative of Anne Frank surviving the holocaust, while refusing to reveal herself. It is intriguing look into responsibility of an artist, but it's way of presenting the issues is almost laughable. While I admire Roth and especially the Human Stain, I can't say I found this one up to par.
Rating:
Summary: The Good Writer
Review: Roth is smart and savvy, and if you look away he'll blindside you with wry genius and smile beguilingly as soon as you catch his eye again.
This book is a gem. Short, spare, enlarged, full of pathos, full of history and humanity, (...).
I would almosthave liked it better if he'd kept up the tone of the beginning. Kept it real. Not Anne Frank, but a similar standin. After all these are the travails of Zuckerman, not Roth.
Still, it' a bloody amazing book.
Rating:
Summary: Appeals to Me
Review: The first of Roth's sequence of books about the writer Nathan Zuckerman, this novel finds Zuckerman a young man recently out of college invited to spend an evening with an author he admires, E. I. Lonoff. While there he meets the author's wife, Hope, and his assistant and possible mistress, Amy Bellette. As the evening progresses, Zuckerman is witness to a drama of emotion played out between these three people. Admittedly, it is difficult for me to be objective about this book because it speaks to me personally on so many levels. As an aspiring writer myself, I identify easily with Zuckerman's emotions on meeting an idol and trying to deal with the reality of the dream. I also recognize Zuckerman's tendency as a writer to let his imagination play out scenarios of explanation to understand things he's witnessed. To wit, his extended imagining of Amy as Anne Frank, who has somehow survived the concentration camp and hidden her identity, even while becoming one of the most famous people in the world through her diary. As someone who reads my other reviews will realize, I'm an amateur Anne Frank historian so I found this fiction particularly interesting and, on some levels, quite believable. Certainly it has crossed the mind of everyone who has studied Anne Frank to wonder what she would be like if she had survived. Roth gives us a possibility. Ultimately, I found this brief novel quite satisfying. Roth's ability to write readable prose is beyond question. So, if the summary of the story sounds interesting to you, it is definitely worth the single sitting it would take to read it.
Rating:
Summary: a little miracle
Review: This impossible-to-synopsize novel is elegant, evocative, funny, sharp in its characterizations, profound in its suggestiveness. I cannot understand calling it "unstructured," as one reviewer here has -- it is a miracle of craft. It is about writing in a fairly direct way, about imagination and "fantasy," but too about the unknowability of ordinary people, about the hackles truth can raise because truth is always necessarily partial, unreachable. This is not just a writer who knows what he's doing. He knows what we're all doing.
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