Reading order#
| # |
Title |
Published |
Author |
Buy on Amazon |
| 1 |
The Conversion of the Jews |
1958 |
Philip Roth |
Buy |
The Conversion of the Jews is a short story about a Jewish boy who confronts his rabbi with questions the rabbi finds impertinent. It appeared in 1958, a year before Goodbye, Columbus, and shows Roth already working with the tensions between religious tradition and individual skepticism that would define much of his fiction.
The story is short and direct, with the kind of comic confrontation that became one of Roth’s signatures.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books are in the Philip Roth Short Stories/Novellas series?
There are one books in the Philip Roth Short Stories/Novellas series, published in 1958.
What is the first book in the Philip Roth Short Stories/Novellas series?
The first book in the Philip Roth Short Stories/Novellas series is The Conversion of the Jews, published in 1958.
Is this story representative of Roth's later work?
In some ways yes. The story deals with Jewish identity and religious questioning, themes that run through his entire career. The satirical edge and the focus on a young protagonist at odds with authority are also consistent with his later fiction.