I can not find the substance of this novel. Mastery of Roth driving the novel technique is well known, perhaps this is what makes me stay blank after having closed the book after reading the last page. With the narrative capacity of the author, her tone neutral but appealing, the solidity with which mounted the characters, the description of the historic landscape around this undeniable literary and narrative value keeps the reader on the rails of history. Maybe because the author knows that history itself has no great route, despite the historical background and the obvious moral burden of it, at the right time places the appropriate resource. After the initial exposure, which carries a couple of dozens of pages (the novel has 165), when it carries a third of the total, introduces a radical twist that inevitably engages the reader. The plot may be more typical of a long story as a novel, but Philip Roth is able to maintain the pace and intrigue until you reach the last page. In my opinion, are not looking at one of the final Roth novels, but no lover of literature may not admire the apparent ease with which this writer develops its stories, being able to get the juice to the shortest idea.