Philip Roth, one of America's greatest novelists dead at 85

One of the great American authors, Philip Roth, has died aged 85.

The Pulitzer, National Book Award and Man Booker International Prize-winning novelist's work drew its inspiration from Jewish family life, sex and American ideals.

His works included American Pastoral, I Married a Communist and Portnoy's Complaint.

The New York Times reported that a close friend of Roth's said he had died of congestive heart failure.


Roth first found success with his short story collection, Goodbye Columbus, published in 1959.

A decade later his sexually explicit novel Portnoy's Complaint catapulted him to notoriety, making him a celebrity in the US.

Obituary: Philip Roth, the author who scandalised middle America
In later life he wrote a number of highly-regarded historical novels, including his 1997 work American Pastoral, for which he won his Pulitzer.

He wrote prolifically over the course of his career, publishing over 30 books before ending his fiction career in 2009.

In 2014 he told the BBC he would make no more public appearances: "I can guarantee you that this is my last appearance ever on television... absolutely [my] last appearance on any stage anywhere."

Tributes flowed in on Twitter, with his biographer Blake Bailey called him "a darling man" and New York Times Book Review editor Pamela Paul describing him as "one of our greats".