History

The Counterlife is thought to be a meaningful novel to Philip Roth as it effectively delivers his personal questions regarding his true identity being a member of Jewish-American race.  The main character Henry Zuckerman plays as his model, and the protagonists search for the meaning of his existence being a ma, a Jew, and a human being believably reflects those of him.  Perhaps not all of the authors experiences are depicted though, but the thoughts that come to Philip Roths mind are successfully delivered.

 The essence of The Counterlife novel, which is life, death and counterlife, along with the issue of a mans journey in search of his meaning and importance, would not be a success if the author Philip Roth is not that good enough in making almost realistic fiction.  The thin line between reality and fantasy overcomes Roths searching through his alter ego Henry Zuckerman, the protagonist in the story, and Nathan Zuckerman, the younger brother of Henry, who acts as the alter ego of the protagonist.

 The Counterlife discusses taboo topics such as sex life of the middle-aged characters that young minds would not be ready to perceive.  However, the representation could not be viewed as vulgar and pornographic.  As a result, the novel still possesses the quality that majority of its audience would surely enjoy.  Moreover, the content about religious matters such as Zionism and Judaism, the transition of the characters beliefs and principles following his soul searching, and the discussion concerning Jewish  American custom and culture makes the book informative, educational and more commendable to examine.

Book Summary
 The first chapter sets in Basel.  Nathan Zuckerman mourns while recalling his Brother Henrys memories as the latter did not survive at the heart bypass surgery.  Before the operation takes place, Henry suffered impotency believably because of his continuous heart medications.  As Nathan recalls, Henry has to undergo heart treatment and the drugs that he was religiously taking could be the nearest possible cause of Henrys impotency.

Eventually, Henry dies from the complications while physicians were trying to cure him through heart bypass.  Nathan as a responsible brother wants to give him a eulogy but fails to do so.  Thus, he makes a letter on which the disclosure about their adulterous conduct and sexual escapades are revealed.  Before the chapter closes, Nathan remembers Henrys affair with his dental assistant at the height of his denial about impotency.

 In second episode, which sets in Judea, the story revolves about Henry who wanted to live his life to the fullest and eager to fulfill his mission being a Jew.  The difference between American Jew and Israeli Jew is discussed.  He moves to Israel where he believes that a true blue Jew truly belongs in here.  Nathan goes after him in Israel and started tracing where he exactly is because he is so much worried about Henry knowing that he leaves his wife and kids just to follow his instinct.  It is also clear in this chapter that Henrys decision is self-urged to be a part of a Zionism movement in Jewish homeland.  The heart condition of Henry and his death, as formerly given, is neither mentioned nor hinted in this chapter.

 In Aloft chapter, Nathan still narrates his travel experience as he heads back to England from Israel.  He put it in paper.  In here, it also details the colorful and exciting part of the book as Nathan encountered a supposedly plane accident and nearly hijacking incident both in the same trip.  This moment brings childhood memories to Nathan where he and Henry used to play exactly like this.

 Chapter four Gloucestershire sets another twist and turn in the story.  Says in this episode, it is Nathan who actually dies from heart bypass operation after failing to be cured from so much medication that also caused Nathans impotency.  The heart treatment for Nathan is not successful.  Nathan eventually dies.  Henry could not overcome his grief and could not afford to find words in the eulogy.  After the last salute for Nathan, Henry goes to Nathans house to recall his brothers memories.  There he finds out an untitled epistle written by his brother.  The bizarre thing for this is that the epistle that Henry discovered is no other than The Counterlife novel.

 Fifth chapters title is the only title that is not a place unlike the previous four chapters.  Christendom chapter provides the concluding part of the novel.  From chapter two where Nathan heads back to England, he is now finally home with his young wife.  Henry in here is still alive, and the impotency dilemma is discussed once again, the circumcision as part of Jewish culture, as well as Nathans wife fertility and point of views with regards to all of these things.  Moreover, Anti-Semitism and societys discrimination are other problems that the Zuckermans are arguing.

About the Author
Philip Milton Roth has been one of the well-acclaimed honorable American novelists of the literary fiction genre.  He obtains numerous awards, and one of them is the Pulitzer Prize, which was given to him in 1997 for his American Pastoral novel.  His other awards were the PENFaulkner Awards for Fiction which he won three times, the Best Book of the Year recognized by the United Kingdoms prestigious award giving bodies WH Smith Literary Awards for his The Human Stain novel, and received twice both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Award.

Most of Roths novels explore the topic of Jewish and American lives for his characters mainly because he considered himself a descendant of this combined race as he really is.  He receives publics approval and appreciation after he launched his first ever novel entitled Goodbye, Columbus in 1959.  It has been incontestably continued up to this date as his theme gets more and more interesting.

Philip Roth champions the semi-autobiographical kind of literary piece.  Because of this, he makes a niche of his own for magically intertwining the connection between reality and fiction without even noticing their distinction.  The making of an almost real life character  narrators such as David Kepesh, Alexander Portnoy, Philip Roth the character and his favorite Nathan Zuckerman captivates the attention and curiosity of his audience as well as his critics around the world.

The Zuckermans Characters
 The Zuckerman characters starts to appear as Nathan Zuckerman existed in the 1979 novel The Ghost Writer novel although a glimpse of him could also be read at the My Life as a Man in 1974.  After this, the full blown series of his life story was presented in nine different and sometimes sequential books of Philip Roth.  The existence of Zuckermans ends in his 2007 book Exit Ghost.  Believably, Nathan Zuckerman mostly functioned as an alter ego in which the authors thoughts and principles are reflected through this fictional character.

The success of this protagonist makes Roth popular and financially successful although it somehow encompassed criticisms and intrigue because of some scandalous portrayal of true life experiences.  It motivates Philip Roth to expand the existence of this well-known character.  Hence, he develops another character related to it and named Henry Zuckerman, the younger brother of Nathan.
Henry Zuckerman is the main protagonist of the novel The Counterlife.  Although at some point, Nathan and Henrys importance in the story provides equal weight the narrative tackles most of Henrys life, thoughts and adventure.  As usual, Nathans existence only provides as Henrys alter ego.

Book Review
The title itself, The Counterlife, offers a thought-provoking meaning.  From understanding the entire novel, one could say that the counterlife or the alternative life is not only presented to either of the two Zuckermans.  It is equally given to both of them as the story portrays their lives, deaths and the life beyond the death of one.

Discussing topics such as middle-age crisis particularly sex life crisis of a middle-aged man, beliefs, religion and activism are the major issues of this novel.  For the middle age crisis, the situation where a man begins to have sexual malfunction could only denote as the beginning of their ending.  Since a man is sexual by nature, their sexual activity is their recognized life that when it fails could only mean death to them.  The symbolism of penile impotency also provides an intellectual representation pertaining to ones counterlife.

    Beliefs, religion and activism as another issues emerge in the novel, Philip Roth surpass the challenge of putting them altogether even with the presence of taboo discussions.  It could also be a part of mans middle age crisis to embrace his newly found principles at the expense of his present lifestyle and status.  To some, this is called soul-searching.  Henry or Nathan comes to the point where they wanted to leave their American identity and follow the traditional Jewish custom, which probably Philip Roths biggest frustration.

Although personal and sexual lives of the characters are mostly the issue, the book may still be a very good influence to the Jews especially to the ones in modern generation who may see himself unfaithful to their beliefs and religion.  The death, life and counterlife theme could be reflected to the chapter two alone where Henry wishes to be a part of a politically motivated religious movement in the homeland of Jews, the Israel.  The books existence might not be called a Jewish book but really one of the important materials on understanding Jewishs norms and Zionism beliefs and principled actions.  Roth should be applauded for bringing this into light.

It might be so much confusion to the readers how could the story evolves like that allowing the twist among Nathan and Henrys lives.  The dramatic manifestation of mysterious existence of one where in fact one is already dead at the beginning of the novel, and resurrects to make the other one face the same situation is highly artistic.  There is no other author who can make such kind of transition rather than Philip Roth himself who at some minutes a perfect resemblance of his own character Nathan Zuckerman.

    The success of the book owes the author to his own intellect focusing on real life dilemma and places mixing up with fictional characters that is set in an unexplained sequence of events.  Through offering the mid-life crisis of Nathan and the counterlife of Henry and  or vice versa, the twist creates two separate fictional realities yet somehow intertwines.  The overall context of the book creates a positive outlook more than that of gloominess even though deaths of the protagonists became the chief instrument performing such life cycles depiction partly because of some funny scenes which includes sex-life or sex-less life of the characters.