--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Humbling is not vintage Roth, despite…" description: "\"The Humbling is not vintage Roth, despite its compelling premise. The bizarre series of episodes -- mostly sexual encounters with women -- which make u..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/philip-hensher-35347_baroque_the-humbling-is-not-vintage-roth-despite_745998.jpg" --- # The Humbling is not vintage Roth, despite its compelling… ![“The Humbling is not vintage Roth, despite its compelling premise. The bizarre series of episodes -- mostly sexual encounters with women -- which make up this short novel don't play to Roth's strengths. (...) The Humbling disappoints because it avoids these universal implications, and veers off…” quote by Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/philip-hensher-35347_baroque_the-humbling-is-not-vintage-roth-despite_745998.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/philip-hensher-35347_baroque_the-humbling-is-not-vintage-roth-despite_745998.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/philip-hensher-35347_baroque_the-humbling-is-not-vintage-roth-despite_745998.jpg) > “The Humbling is not vintage Roth, despite its compelling premise. The bizarre series of episodes -- mostly sexual encounters with women -- which make up this short novel don't play to Roth's strengths. (...) The Humbling disappoints because it avoids these universal implications, and veers off into a baroque world of the unique and fantastic, never quite deigning to make its world concrete or to give its characters the honour of an independent will.” [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The novel fails to leverage Roth's strengths, focusing on bizarre, fantastical episodes rather than universal themes **In simple terms:** Criticizes the book for neglecting depth and character agency Key Takeaway Seek narratives that balance imagination with relatable human concerns Themes literature critique novel analysis Mood analytical skeptical Type critical review When to use this quote - book clubs - academic courses - author studies - literary podcasts Key Concepts narrative structure character agency genre expectations Questions to Reflect On - Does the novel's uniqueness enhance or hinder its impact? - Can a work be successful without universal relevance? A Different Perspective Readers may find the fantasy elements alienating, limiting emotional connection ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baroque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baroque/) [Bizarre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bizarre/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Compelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compelling/) [Concrete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concrete/) [Despite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despite/) [Despite Compelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despite-compelling-5813690/) [Disappoint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappoint/) [Encounters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/) [Episodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/episodes/) [Fantastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantastic/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Honour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honour/) [Humbling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humbling/) [Humbling Disappoints](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humbling-disappoints-5813688/) [Implications](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/implications/) [Independent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent/) [Never quit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-quit/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Premise Bizarre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/premise-bizarre-5813689/) [Premises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/premises/) [Roth Despite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roth-despite-5813691/) [Series](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/series/) [Unique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unique/) [Universal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universal/) [Vintage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vintage/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“In love it does not matter what you say, but what you feel. In poetry it does not matter what you feel, but what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-de-g-ngora/in-love-it-does-not-matter-what-you-say-but-what-you-feel-in-poetry/) [Luis de Góngora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-de-g-ngora/) > [When I think about the reference to baroque, I'm most interested in how art was integrated into domestic life. That's why I like fresco,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-henrot/when-i-think-about-the-reference-to-baroque-i-m-most-interested-in/) [Camille Henrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-henrot/) > [Kitsch is the contemporary form of the Gothic, Rococo, Baroque.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-wedekind/kitsch-is-the-contemporary-form-of-the-gothic-rococo-baroque/) [Frank Wedekind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-wedekind/) > [If you have a piece by Bach, he often develops the piece to such a high level that you can hardly do much more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-russell/if-you-have-a-piece-by-bach-he-often-develops-the-piece-to-such-a/) [David Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-russell/) > [I think of reading like a balanced diet; if your sentences are too baggy, too baroque, cut back on fatty Foster Wallace, say, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-think-of-reading-like-a-balanced-diet-if-your-sentences-are-too/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [I think what inspires me is in a constant state of flux...it's easier to stick to photographers and perhaps cinematographers, though the great medieval,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-yelchin/i-think-what-inspires-me-is-in-a-constant-state-of-flux-it-s-easier/) [Anton Yelchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-yelchin/) > [My mother's family were full-on Irish Catholics - faith in an elaborate old fashioned, highly conservative and madly baroque style. I sort of fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/my-mother-s-family-were-full-on-irish-catholics-faith-in-an-elaborate/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [What is at the higher levels of meaning consciousness is like a hyperspace in which each point is equidistant from the other and where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-irwin-thompson/what-is-at-the-higher-levels-of-meaning-consciousness-is-like-a/) [William Irwin Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-irwin-thompson/) > [I was trying to run something to ground that had come to my attention when I was working on the Baroque Cycle. That series,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-was-trying-to-run-something-to-ground-that-had-come-to-my-attention/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Cookbooks have all become baroque and very predictable. I'm looking for something different. A lot of chefs' cookbooks are food as it's done in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/cookbooks-have-all-become-baroque-and-very-predictable-i-m-looking/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [I listen to music when I write. I need the musical background. Classical music. I'm behind the times. I'm still with Baroque music, Gregorian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-listen-to-music-when-i-write-i-need-the-musical-background/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [But then life is never neat, it is made up of doors and trapdoors. You move down baroque corridors, and even when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-ledgard/but-then-life-is-never-neat-it-is-made-up-of-doors-and-trapdoors-you/) [J. M. Ledgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-ledgard/) > [I'm not able to completely escape naturalism. It's very difficult to escape from naturalism without being too dry. That's what I try to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-garrel/i-m-not-able-to-completely-escape-naturalism-it-s-very-difficult-to/) [Philippe Garrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-garrel/) > [A contemporary artist can use the findings of all epochs and all styles, from the most primitive literary expressions up to the most refined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-goytisolo/a-contemporary-artist-can-use-the-findings-of-all-epochs-and-all/) [Juan Goytisolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-goytisolo/) > [If it's not baroque, don't fix it! -Cogsworth the Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beauty-and-the-beast/if-it-s-not-baroque-don-t-fix-it-cogsworth-the-clock/) [Beauty And The Beast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beauty-and-the-beast/) ## More by Philip Hensher > [“Previously, gay life had seemed a merry series of cabinet reshuffles and rearrangements, in which everyone was single for a time, then paired off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hensher/previously-gay-life-had-seemed-a-merry-series-of-cabinet-reshuffles/) [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) > [I think you can tell when you meet someone whether they read novels. There's some hollowness if they don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hensher/i-think-you-can-tell-when-you-meet-someone-whether-they-read-novels/) [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) > [“The thing I truly object to,” Kitty said, “and I know this sounds trivial and I don’t care if it sounds a bit snobbish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hensher/the-thing-i-truly-object-to-kitty-said-and-i-know-this-sounds-trivial/) [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) > [ It \[fiction\] allows us to see the world from the point of view of someone else and there has been quite a lot of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hensher/it-fiction-allows-us-to-see-the-world-from-the-point-of-view-of/) [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) > [“It’s material deprivation that starts all this off.” “They’ve got dishwashers, Miranda,” Billa said. “They’re not examples of material deprivation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hensher/it-s-material-deprivation-that-starts-all-this-off-they-ve-got/) [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) > [I think you can tell, when you meet someone, whether they read novels or not. There is some little hollowness if they don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hensher/i-think-you-can-tell-when-you-meet-someone-whether-they-read-novels-2/) [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) > [“Depressing realization sets in. Writing was invented not by human beings but by accountants. Most of the early writing systems are records of how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hensher/depressing-realization-sets-in-writing-was-invented-not-by-human/) [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) > [“You need to start making an effort,” Richard said. “There’s a thing called the gay scene nowadays. It happens in large cities – London,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hensher/you-need-to-start-making-an-effort-richard-said-there-s-a-thing/) [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) > [“... something very unusual, a chocolate-flavoured log of goats’ cheese. “Made by lesbians in Wales,” Sam had explained superfluously.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hensher/something-very-unusual-a-chocolate-flavoured-log-of-goats-cheese-made/) [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) > [“It happened to some people, that obsession with throwing their clothes off at an age when it would be best to keep them on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hensher/it-happened-to-some-people-that-obsession-with-throwing-their-clothes/) [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) > [“Why do we say ‘the cockles of your heart’?” David said. “Nothing to do with whelks, I suppose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hensher/why-do-we-say-the-cockles-of-your-heart-david-said-nothing-to-do-with/) [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) > [“If you don't say anything it can't become important, but if you say it everyone's ever after got to walk round it like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hensher/if-you-don-t-say-anything-it-can-t-become-important-but-if-you-say-it/) [Philip Hensher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) [Explore all 13 Philip Hensher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hensher/) ## More Baroque quotes > [“In love it does not matter what you say, but what you feel. In poetry it does not matter what you feel, but what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-de-g-ngora/in-love-it-does-not-matter-what-you-say-but-what-you-feel-in-poetry/) [Luis de Góngora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-de-g-ngora/) > [A contemporary artist can use the findings of all epochs and all styles, from the most primitive literary expressions up to the most refined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-goytisolo/a-contemporary-artist-can-use-the-findings-of-all-epochs-and-all/) [Juan Goytisolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-goytisolo/) > [I'm not able to completely escape naturalism. It's very difficult to escape from naturalism without being too dry. That's what I try to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-garrel/i-m-not-able-to-completely-escape-naturalism-it-s-very-difficult-to/) [Philippe Garrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-garrel/) > [But then life is never neat, it is made up of doors and trapdoors. You move down baroque corridors, and even when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-ledgard/but-then-life-is-never-neat-it-is-made-up-of-doors-and-trapdoors-you/) [J. M. Ledgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-ledgard/) > [I listen to music when I write. I need the musical background. Classical music. I'm behind the times. I'm still with Baroque music, Gregorian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-listen-to-music-when-i-write-i-need-the-musical-background/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Cookbooks have all become baroque and very predictable. I'm looking for something different. A lot of chefs' cookbooks are food as it's done in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/cookbooks-have-all-become-baroque-and-very-predictable-i-m-looking/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [I was trying to run something to ground that had come to my attention when I was working on the Baroque Cycle. That series,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-was-trying-to-run-something-to-ground-that-had-come-to-my-attention/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [What is at the higher levels of meaning consciousness is like a hyperspace in which each point is equidistant from the other and where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-irwin-thompson/what-is-at-the-higher-levels-of-meaning-consciousness-is-like-a/) [William Irwin Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-irwin-thompson/) > [My mother's family were full-on Irish Catholics - faith in an elaborate old fashioned, highly conservative and madly baroque style. I sort of fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/my-mother-s-family-were-full-on-irish-catholics-faith-in-an-elaborate/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [I think what inspires me is in a constant state of flux...it's easier to stick to photographers and perhaps cinematographers, though the great medieval,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-yelchin/i-think-what-inspires-me-is-in-a-constant-state-of-flux-it-s-easier/) [Anton Yelchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-yelchin/) > [I think of reading like a balanced diet; if your sentences are too baggy, too baroque, cut back on fatty Foster Wallace, say, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-think-of-reading-like-a-balanced-diet-if-your-sentences-are-too/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [If you have a piece by Bach, he often develops the piece to such a high level that you can hardly do much more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-russell/if-you-have-a-piece-by-bach-he-often-develops-the-piece-to-such-a/) [David Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-russell/) > [Kitsch is the contemporary form of the Gothic, Rococo, Baroque.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-wedekind/kitsch-is-the-contemporary-form-of-the-gothic-rococo-baroque/) [Frank Wedekind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-wedekind/) > [When I think about the reference to baroque, I'm most interested in how art was integrated into domestic life. That's why I like fresco,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-henrot/when-i-think-about-the-reference-to-baroque-i-m-most-interested-in/) [Camille Henrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-henrot/) > [If it's not baroque, don't fix it! -Cogsworth the Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beauty-and-the-beast/if-it-s-not-baroque-don-t-fix-it-cogsworth-the-clock/) [Beauty And The Beast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beauty-and-the-beast/) [Browse all 109 Baroque quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baroque/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Humbling is not vintage Roth, despite its compelling premise. The bizarre series of episodes -- mostly sexual encounters with women -- which make up this short novel don't play to Roth's strengths. (...) 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