The Counterlife
(Philip Roth)
Four scenarios are presented here:
Nathan Zuckerman is the writer and his brother Henry is the dentist. Henry has a severe heart ailment, which requires him to take medicine, which renders him impotent. He is devastated because he can no longer have sex with his mistress who is also his assistant in the dental office. He does not think about having sex with his wife. If he has surgery it will make his heart okay, he will no longer have to take the medicine, he will no longer be impotent; but the operation is a hit or miss - he could die. Should he have the operation he asks himself. He doesn't know what to do so he discusses it with his brother Nathan and has the operation. The operation is not successful.
After the operation, Henry goes to Israel to become a real Jew rather than an American Secular Jew. His wife thinks he has lost his mind. Nathan goes to Israel and looks for his brother Henry, thinking he can determine why Henry has gone to Israel and thinking he can talk some sense into him. Henry no longer wants to indulge his mistress with the sexual affair; and has relinquished all attachment to his wife and family, although he eagerly awaits the arrival of his children who are coming to visit him, while at the same time attending Jewish rituals, ceremonies, and political speeches.
Nathan Zuckerman, the writer is the one who actually has the heart disease and wants to have the operation in order to have sex with the woman he is in love with who he has never touched physically. They have only talked many times when her husband is away and professed their love for each other. She is married to a beast of a man, who she however clings to but at the same time contemplates life with Nathan.
Nathan survives the operation and marries Maria who divorces her husband. The last part deals with their downfall in trying to bridge the gap between Judaism and Christendom.
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