David Kepesh books in order

A series of four novels following David Kepesh, a literature professor whose intellectual life and erotic obsessions are closely intertwined. The books span from 1972 to 2001 and include The Breast, The Professor of Desire, and The Dying Animal.
Series · Literary Fiction · American Literature · Satire

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 The Breast 1972 Philip Roth Buy
2 นม 1972 Philip Roth N/A
3 The Professor of Desire 1977 Philip Roth Buy
4 The Dying Animal 2001 Philip Roth Buy

The Kepesh novels are looser in their connections than the Zuckerman books, and they cover very different narrative territory. The Breast, published in 1972, is a Kafkaesque novella in which Kepesh wakes up to find he has literally transformed into a large breast. It reads as dark comedy and literary provocation in equal measure.

The Professor of Desire and The Dying Animal are more realist in approach, following Kepesh through his relationships and his career as a literary critic and professor. The Dying Animal, published in 2001, is the sharpest of the three, a short novel about an aging man’s obsession with a former student that becomes increasingly difficult to read as comedy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the David Kepesh series?

There are four books in the David Kepesh series, published between 1972 and 2001.

What is the first book in the David Kepesh series?

The first book in the David Kepesh series is The Breast, published in 1972.

How connected are the David Kepesh novels?

They share a protagonist and some continuity of character history, but each works as a standalone. The Breast is the strangest and most self-contained. The Professor of Desire and The Dying Animal form a more natural sequence.

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