If the first program in this two-part series concentrated on Roth the novelist, the second program looks at his public persona. It seems as if he was - and remains - a difficult person to live with. Although more than willing to appear on various media, he finds it difficult to talk frankly about himself. Despite several long-term relationships, notably with the actress Claire Bloom, he has seldom committed himself. The only way he can successfully communicate is through the written word - and even then (as the first program demonstrated), readers have no way of knowing whether what they read is 'really' what Roth thinks. As a result he comes across as a protean figure, someone who appears perfectly amenable to answer presenter Alan Yentob's questions, but at the same time reluctant to disclose much. The program includes several testimonies by Roth's friends and colleagues, notably the novelist Edna O'Brien, but such testimonies do not help us much in getting to understand the novelist and the way he thinks and feels. Perhaps that's just how he likes it, even though it remains a frustrating experience for viewers.
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