Operation Shylock
A Confession
Book • 1993
In this novel, Philip Roth narrates a journey to Israel where he encounters a man who has assumed his identity and is promoting 'Diasporism,' a reverse exodus of European Jews back to Europe.
The story intertwines with the trial of John Demjanjuk, the First Intifada, and Roth's involvement in an intelligence mission for the Mossad.
The book explores themes of identity, morality, and the blurred lines between reality and fiction, culminating in a deliberately anticlimactic epilogue that leaves key questions unresolved.
The story intertwines with the trial of John Demjanjuk, the First Intifada, and Roth's involvement in an intelligence mission for the Mossad.
The book explores themes of identity, morality, and the blurred lines between reality and fiction, culminating in a deliberately anticlimactic epilogue that leaves key questions unresolved.
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Caleb Zakarin and discussed by David Kraemer , highlighting his novel "Operation Shylock" and its exploration of Jewish identity and the complexities of Israel and diaspora.
Caleb Zakarin and discussed by David Kraemer , highlighting his novel "Operation Shylock" and its exploration of Jewish identity and the complexities of Israel and diaspora.
David Kraemer, "Embracing Exile: The Case for Jewish Diaspora" (Oxford UP, 2025)
