I Married a Communist

I Married A Communist is a Philip Roth novel concerning the rise and fall of Ira Ringold, known as "Iron Rinn." The story is narrated by Nathan Zuckerman, and is one of a trio of Zuckerman novels Roth wrote in the 1990s depicting the postwar history of Newark, New Jersey and its residents.

Related Topics:
Philip Roth - Novel - Nathan Zuckerman - 1990s - Newark, New Jersey

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Ira and his brother Murray serve as two immense influences on the school-age Zuckerman, and the story is told as a contemporary reminiscence between Murray and Nathan on Ira's life. Although a communist, Ira became a star in radio theater. Personal conflicts with his wife, McCarthy-ite politicians, a gossip columnist, and his daughter-addled and manipulative wife all combine to destroy Ira and many of those around him.

Related Topics:
Communist - Radio theater - McCarthy-ite

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Many consider the character of Eve Frame — the evil, anti-Semitic wife who destroys Ira — to be a thinly veiled riposte at Roth's ex-wife, Claire Bloom, for her unflattering memoirs which portray a Roth unable to bottle his vanity and incapable of cohabiting with Bloom's daughter.

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