Presents a variety of new essays on the Jewish-American writer. For readers who are studying Roth for the first time, a biographical sketch relates the details of his life and four essays survey the critical reception of Roth's work, explore its cultural and historical contexts, situate Roth among his contemporaries, and review key themes in his work. Readers seeking a deeper understanding of the writer can then move on to other original essays that explore a range of topics.