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Portnoy's Complaint
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
Portnoy's Complaint n. [after Alexander Portnoy (1933-)] A disorder in which strongly-felt ethical and altruistic impulses are perpetually warring with extreme sexual longings, often of a perverse nature. Spielvogel says: 'Acts of exhibitionism, voyeurism, fetishism, auto-eroticism and oral coitus are plentiful; as a consequence of the patient's "morality," however, neither fantasy nor act issues in genuine sexual gratification, but rather in overriding feelings of shame and the dread of retribution, particularly in the form of castration.' (Spielvogel, O. 'The Puzzled Penis', Internationale Zeitschrift fur Psychoanalyse, Vol. XXIV, p. 909.) it is believed by Spielvogel that many of the symptoms can be traced to the bonds obtaining in the mother-child relationship.
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review
The_Penniless_Author
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Pickpick

I did it! I finished a book! 😁 This is a tough one to review given that it took me more than a month to read what would normally take me a week, but at the same time it's perfectly suited to read in small chunks. This was like if you distilled the laments of every Jewish friend, comedian, author, etc. I've ever known into a single, highly concentrated screed about the effects of a guilt-based upbringing (will feel familiar to Catholics and 👇

The_Penniless_Author ...certain strict Protestant sects as well.) Very funny in places, though probably not a book I'll revisit multiple times. 5mo
Ruthiella I read this 100 years ago, but definitely recall being able to relate to the guilt! I think some of us just come out of the womb that way! 5mo
RaeLovesToRead @The_Penniless_Author @Ruthiella At least in Portnoy's case he should feel guilty about screwing his family's dinner 🤣🤣🤣 (I was going to write #relatable as a joke, but don't want anyone to miss the sarcasm haha) 5mo
40 likes3 comments
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The_Penniless_Author
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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#motivationalmonday

1. I have the good fortune to live directly in the path of totality AND for it to be sunny in Vermont at the beginning of April, so watching the eclipse is the one and only thing I have on my mind this week. 🌞🌛🌗🌑😎
2. Coffee
3. Bookmark
4. Tagged!

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RaeLovesToRead
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Pickpick

The title is apt. Portnoy doesn't half complain a lot.

This book is a misogynistic monologue whereby Alexander Portnoy blames his parents for his excessive masturbation and lack of romantic satisfaction. It's clever and amusing.

I don't think we are supposed to feel particularly sorry for Portnoy. He's a pompous, whiny, woman-hating arse. Still, as a character piece this book is believable and reminiscent of The Catcher in the Rye.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Leniverse I got so fed up with Portnoy I stopped finding him funny halfway through. 🤪 10mo
RaeLovesToRead @Leniverse I didn't really feel I was laughing with him at any point. He's a dreadful creature. 10mo
71 likes2 comments
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Kalalalatja
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Mehso-so

I have been trying to figure out how to review this, because I feel torn. On the one hand, it is a story about a white, privileged man, who COMPLAINS A LOT! But on the other hand it was... quite funny. I can definitely see how this was pretty out there for the times, and I like the irony of Portnoy. But I‘m not sure it really stands the test of time (so many racial slurs), and I was ready for it to be over when I finished.

BarbaraBB Well balanced review. It made me laugh a lot but it certainly isn‘t a correct book anymore. And I‘m glad your placemat is back 😀 4y
Cinfhen Hahaha @BarbaraTheBibliophage I love the placemat comment ♥️♥️♥️I agree, that placemat is super photogenic 🥰And wonderful review, Katja. I haven‘t read Roth, but I trust your instincts 4y
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MicheleinPhilly I love Roth‘s writing (for the most part) but found this to be a slog and a half. “Whiny man whines. A LOT.” 4y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Cinfhen Think you meant to tag @BarbaraBB on the placemat comment! 🤪 4y
Cinfhen I did @BarbaraTheBibliophage but heyyyyyyy girlfriend xxx hope you‘re having a lovely Sunday xxx 4y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Cinfhen **waves** yes we are! 💕💕 4y
Kalalalatja @BarbaraBB @Cinfhen it is actually a pouf (if that is the correct spelling??), but I just love the way the pattern looks with certain books 😄 4y
Kalalalatja @MicheleinPhilly soooo whiny! And I hate the stereotype of everything being the mother‘s fault. It felt too freudian, and I have never been a big fan of Freud, so my eyes rolled a lot... 🙄 4y
BarbaraBB Oh of course, it‘s a pouf! I remember having seen it in your room on other pictures! 4y
Cinfhen What‘s a pouf @BarbaraBB @Kalalalatja ??? 4y
BarbaraBB A round kind of pillow to sit on... do you know what I mean? 4y
81 likes1 stack add12 comments
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1001BooksPodcast
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Panpan

This one got us riled up! Nothing like a long, complaining monologue that we found to be pretty misogynist to fuel our own rant. Give the episode a listen! #1001books #applepodcasts #googleplay #soundcloud

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CarolynM
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Ruthiella Oof! 😂 5y
BarbaraBB Ha ha 5y
Cinfhen I haven‘t read this Roth novel but I‘m pretty sure I‘m down for the comparison 🙊 5y
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LeahBergen I haven‘t read this yet but from what I know of it - I‘m assuming it‘s something dirty? 😂👏🏻 5y
arlenefinnigan 😂 Brilliant. And, y'know, appropriate. The song is filthy. 5y
gradcat I so love Philip Roth, but I cannot say I loved this particular book. I did “get it” though, if you know what I mean. ♥️ 5y
61 likes6 comments
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keepingupwiththepenguins
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Pickpick

A repressed Jewish guy whacks his psychiatrist over the head with his Oedipal complex. It‘s funny, engaging, and charming, perhaps a little too dirty for some folks but that‘s how I like ‘em. Reading it is like eating apple pie & ice cream for dinner: you could make an argument that there‘s some nutritional value in doing it, but it‘s just indulgent fun for grown-ups. Full review: http://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/portnoys-complaint-philip-roth/

Crazeedi Omg I totally forgot about this book, read it when it first came out. Wow, you just took me back!! 5y
keepingupwiththepenguins @Crazeedi Hahahaha well glad to have sent you on a little trip down memory lane 😉 ❤ 5y
42 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Pedrocamacho
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Pickpick

The heart of this book is the gap between who Alexander Portnoy is and who he wants or feels he needs to be. His sexual desire, or perhaps his guilt over his sexual desire, stunts his personhood in profound ways.

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Kalalalatja
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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My gift certificate #bookhaul 📚 now I just need to get those stickers off of the McEwan 🙄

erzascarletbookgasm Haven‘t read any of these. Enjoy! 5y
Kalalalatja @erzascarletbookgasm I think I saw @ephemeralwaltz post about the McEwan book, and the others I don‘t know much about, but I have wanted to read Butler for so long! 5y
ephemeralwaltz Good luck with the stickers 😂 I posted about On Chesil Beach (not Amsterdam) but I have to say that his writing, while incredible, isn't my thing. I've taken a break from it this week. I'm dying to read Butler too! 5y
ephemeralwaltz Cool photo, btw! 5y
61 likes4 comments
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Astroneman
Lamento di Portnoy | Philip Roth
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Mehso-so
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Jillybeane
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
Bailedbailed

I really tried, but the whole thing is a dude‘s boring monologue to his therapist. I couldn‘t take him whining about his mom and his dick anymore. As much sex is in this book, it isn‘t sexy.

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britt_brooke
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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My hauls today from #McKays and #Goodwill. @Booksnchill Thanks for the tip on the bargain books at McKay‘s! I grabbed the #JonathanTropper and #MaryKarr books from that section for less than a dollar each. They‘ll be used for future swaps or giveaways. The #ThomasMcGuane is for the husband.

#bookhaul #usedbooks #shoplocal

Booksnchill Wow good haul!!! Need to get back to McKays!!!😂👍 6y
Billypar Oooh...so much good stuff here! I haven't read most but I'm a big fan of many of the authors. 6y
britt_brooke @Booksnchill Yeah .... I definitely didn‘t mean home with 15 books today, ha! I couldn‘t believe my luck at Goodwill, too. I love the thrill of the hunt. 😆 6y
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Booksnchill @britt_brooke i have never hunted at Goodwill- next on the list!! 6y
britt_brooke @Booksnchill Yes, you have to try it! I always get lucky there. I usually go about once a month. Today, I went to the one here and the one in Madison. 6y
britt_brooke @Billypar I got really lucky today! I‘ve only read - and loved - the Mary Karr books and the Tropper. Excited for the rest! 6y
Leftcoastzen I love Thomas McGuane! 6y
britt_brooke @Leftcoastzen I‘ve never read any of his books, but my husband is a fan. I‘ll have to give him a try sometime. 6y
157 likes1 stack add8 comments
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GidgetsTreasures75
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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R.I.P. 😢

Leftcoastzen Love that quote! 6y
10 likes1 comment
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Carissa-Green-Reads
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Confession: I didn't find "Portnoy's Complaint" funny. And by the time I read it in the '90s it certainly wasn't shocking anymore. I need to work on reading the rest of his oeuvre. Perhaps desire will strike someday.

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Samplergal
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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RIP.

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Sweettartlaura
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Up to Mt. Vancouver for #MountTBR!
36/100
On to the next one...

Cinfhen 👍🏻 6y
WanderingBookaneer I haven‘t been buying books so this is the one challenge I‘m doing great on this year. 6y
Sweettartlaura @WanderingBookaneer I applaud you - I‘m not SUPPOSED to be buying books, but just scroll through my feed ...😳 6y
Suet624 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. Wish I had your perseverance. 6y
44 likes5 comments
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Sweettartlaura
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Bailedbailed

I‘m done - I gave it a really good shot.
I picked this up for 3 reasons:
1. Caroline Kepnes
2. #192019challenge - 1967
3. I truly love some of Roth‘s other work.

But after a week and only 100 pages, I‘m calling it. I get it - he‘s Jewish, in therapy, & loves sex without real commitment. And he‘s obsessed with his mother. Maybe this was groundbreaking in 1967, but I‘m over it in 2018.

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GidgetsTreasures75
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Mehso-so

2-5-18: Finished on the plane home from Philadelphia. I read almost nothing while I was away because I was so busy but I did buy more books for the future 👍🏼 This book was weird. I enjoyed it but wouldn't know how to recommend it. The entire book is a one sided conversation. Alex Portnoy, is telling his therapist why he thinks he is still unmarried and running around, because of his Jewish mother and his Jewish background. Quirky and funny.

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GidgetsTreasures75
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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1-30-18: Always waiting in doctor's offices for my mom's appointments means I have more time to read. This book is weird but funny. Roth has a bizarre sense of humor. 📖

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BarbaraBB
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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“What was it with these Jewish parents, what, that they were able to make us little Jewish boys believe ourselves to be princes on the one hand, unique as unicorns on the one hand, geniuses and brilliant like nobody has ever been brilliant and beautiful before in the history of childhood - saviors and sheer perfection on the one hand, and such bumbling, incompetent, thoughtless, helpless, selfish, evil little shits, little ingrates, on the other!”

Cinfhen I've yet to read this one...I have a hard time with Roth😬 7y
Cinfhen He's so damn angry!! 😉 7y
See All 10 Comments
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen Yeah, me too sometimes (fed up with angry white male writers in general). This one I really liked though. It is very funny in a way - or should I say ironical? Probably I should... 😅😂 7y
batsy I've never read Roth. I figured I should at least read one. Is this the one you would recommend? (love the blustering irony in this quote...) 7y
BarbaraBB @batsy I think it is a good one as a first Roth. Be aware however, that this quote is very representative for the whole book. It is one long ironic monologue. Other books I liked by him are 7y
batsy @BarbaraBB Cool, thanks! 7y
Billypar I feel like this one is lighter and more comic than any of the other ones I read- I liked it though. I haven't read either of those other picks but will check them out (did like The Human Stain film). @batsy My favorite is American Pastoral. Operation Shylock is good too if you're in a postmodern mood. Avoid Sabbath's Theater ☺ 7y
batsy @Billypar Thank you for the recs! I will be sure to look these up and steer clear of Sabbath's Theater 😀 7y
51 likes1 stack add10 comments
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shawnmooney
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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TOKYO USED BOOKSTORE HAUL - BOOK 7 OF 15

I have never read Roth. I'd say there's at least a 50% chance that I will hate this novel, but this was $5 and in near mint condition. Besides, there's a 50% chance that I might really like it! :-)

Angelala007 I loved this one. It's the only Roth I've read. You have to hear the dialogue in your head to appreciate it. 😊 7y
Suet624 Shawn Mooney, trying to be optimistic. I like it. 7y
Billypar I enjoyed it, though all the other Roth I've read was mid-late career so this one felt different from the rest- more manic and neurotic, more humor. 7y
32 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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blankpagesofmine
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Some of Roth's novels have been on my TBR for quite some time and I have yet to take the plunge. I've heard that his works can be separated with a butter knife, in terms of style and literary impact but is that such an uncommon thing to see from 20th century writers who had long tenures? I always enjoy seeing how an author's writing changes as they do, and as time and history progresses.

#philiproth #portnoyscomplaint #bibliophile #reading

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BarbaraBB
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Pickpick

Really sharp observations and thoughts make this an excellent read. Especially considering the rather serious subject Portnoy is talking about to his 'doctor' in his long monologue: the consequences of being Jewish in Newark in the 40s and 50s. He complains about his Jewish parents and their traditions and beliefs, he complains about religion in general, but as a grown up he discovers he cannot escape his own roots. #1001books

5 likes2 stack adds
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manifestsanity
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Depraved. Vulgar. Crass. Sexist. Disgusting. Offensive. Perverted. Abnormal. Disturbing. Welcome to the twisted mentality of Alexander Portnoy! This is one of the funniest, most deviant books I have ever read. It's like a Borscht Belt comedian working blue performing a degenerate one man show for a shocked audience. Fearless and hilarious. #AprilBookShowers #PublishedInThe1960s

50 likes1 stack add1 comment
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mirkoravaschino
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Chiara1978
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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m.galehuxley
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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I'm finishing up Portnoy's Complaint. I often enjoyed and understood the reason for the chaotic rambling, but I would have liked to have had something else to hold on to. Perhaps the problem is that I read American Pastoral first and enjoyed it so much. #PhilipRoth

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ApoptyGina69
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Yeah, I have a complaint NO ONE CARES! #threwitacrosstheroom #toomuchpenis. Actually I wanted to throw it out the window of the MUNI (SF bus system), but I donated it instead. Now it lives again once we blended the households. Sigh. #photoadaynov16

Kirstin 😂😂😂 8y
merelybookish Ha! Good choice! 8y
Alfoster You're killing me!😜😜😜 8y
47 likes3 comments
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GoneFishing
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth

You can no more make someone tell the truth than you can force someone to love you.

25 likes2 stack adds
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MLRio
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Panpan

While Roth's prose and characterization are certainly engaging, what this book amounts to is a 300-page inside joke about being a thirteen-year-old Jewish boy, and if you don't happen to fit into that category, too bad, because there's no narrative thread to follow if the joke doesn't include you. Let's just say it's masturbatory in more ways than one. #review #portnoyscomplaint #philiproth

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MLRio
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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So the voice is strong and the characterization is great, but I'm 100 pages in and still can't find a plot... #philiproth #portnoyscomplaint #currentlyreading

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MLRio
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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A friend picked this out for me at Daunt Books yesterday. #dauntbooks #london #philiproth

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twohectobooks
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
Panpan

Hated this. Dude despises his mom for barely justifiable reasons and masturbates a lot and couldn't convince me to care.

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Yossarian
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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With 45 minutes to go, feeling the urge to drive to Barnes & Noble, queue up, and then at the stroke of midnight purchase and read a Philip Roth novel.

Mayread 👏🏿👏🏾👏🏽👏🏼👏🏻 8y
HardcoverHearts Hilarious! 8y
Hugoreads Yes! I wish I had thought to do something like that! So funny😂 8y
QuintusMarcus I completely understand. 8y
99 likes9 stack adds5 comments
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twohectobooks
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Uhhh...

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twohectobooks
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Less than 50 pages in and already pretty sure I'll hate this.

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Laurenwdillard
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Pickpick

👍

1 like2 stack adds
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Sweettartlaura
Portnoy's Complaint | Philip Roth
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Because Joe - and Caroline Kepnes 😏 - say so.
#HPBhaul

4 likes1 stack add