In the Roth archives: the evolution of Philip Roth’s Kepesh trilogy

Witcombe, M (2017) 'In the Roth archives: the evolution of Philip Roth’s Kepesh trilogy.' Philip Roth Studies, 13 (1). pp. 45-63. ISSN 1547-3929

Abstract

This article proposes that our scholarly understanding of the development of Philip Roth’s Kepesh novels can be usefully complicated by examining unpublished drafts of sequels to 'The Breast', and by analyzing the novel’s publication history. Tracking Roth’s editorial decisions, this article explores the manner in which these alternative texts explicitly conflict with the versions of Kepesh that Roth readers are more familiar with. This article argues that this enables a reconsideration of the significance of psychoanalysis in Roth’s work; the Kepesh novels (especially 'The Breast' and 'The Professor of Desire') represent a process of gradual disenchantment with psychoanalysis, emblematic of broader trends in American intellectual culture.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	School of Writing, Publishing and the Humanities
Date Deposited:	18 Dec 2018 13:36
Last Modified:	15 Aug 2021 09:51
URI / Page ID:	https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/11839

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