Philip Roth named greatest US writer

For those of you who have been trying, day after day, week after week, to pin down who the greatest living American novelist is - the answer is Philip Roth.

For those of you who have been trying, day after day, week after week, to pin down who the greatest living American novelist is - the answer is Philip Roth.

A "panel of 30 literati" - the likes of Salman Rushdie, Nell Freudenberger, Gary Shteyngart and James Franco - were asked the question by New York magazine's Vulture site "to assess [Roth's] oeuvre" ahead of his 80th birthday next month.

Yes, Roth is the greatest living American novelist, said 77 percent of the illustrious panel, the Guardian reported.

The other 23 percent - ie the other 6.9 people - thought not, although Don DeLillo was the only other writer mentioned as a possibility, and some respondents declined to nominate anyone.

They were later asked if Roth is a misogynist. Yes, said 17 percent. No, said 30 percent, Umm, said a non-mathematical 52 percent.

43 percent said that his greatest subject was himself.

'Sabbath's Theater' was rated as his best book, receiving 24 percent votes.