Philip Roth wins Spain's Prince of Asturias prize for literature

(CBS/AP) MADRID - Philip Roth has been named the winner of Spain's 2012 Prince of Asturias prize for literature in recognition of his formidable contribution to American literature.

Prize organizers said Wednesday Roth's narrative work forms "part of the great American novel, in the tradition of Dos Passos, Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner, Bellow and Malamud."

The prize jury also praised Roth for "his fluid, incisive writing," according to the AFP.

"Characters, events and plots form a complex view of contemporary reality torn between reason and feeling, such as the sign of the times and the sense of unease about the present," it said in a statement.

The honor comes with a $62,670 prize, the AFP reports.

Wednesday's award is one of eight handed out yearly by a foundation named for Crown Prince Felipe of Spain. Other categories include arts, sports and scientific research.

The 79-year-old Roth, from Newark, N.J., is one of America's most renowned authors. His most popular books include "Portnoy's Complaint", "American Pastoral" and "The Human Stain."