Picks and Pans Review: Philip Roth

UPDATED 12/30/1991 at 01:00 AM EST • Originally published 12/30/1991 at 01:00 AM EST

Patrimony
Obstinate, frugal and blunt, Herman Roth was the irresistible force his rising son Philip pressed against and drew inspiration from. Roth is masterful in this piercingly vivid account of their knotty relationship, seen through the lens of Herman's final struggle with a brain tumor. (Simon & Schuster)