Portnoy’s Complaint

novel by Roth

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Article History

Portnoy’s Complaint, novel by Philip Roth, published in 1969. The book became a minor classic of Jewish American literature. This comic novel is structured as a confession to a psychiatrist by Alexander Portnoy, who relates the details of his adolescent obsession with masturbation and his domination by his overly possessive mother, Sophie. Portnoy’s “complaint” refers to the damage done to him by the culture that has shaped him; although he is successful, his achievements are marred by a nagging sense of guilt.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.