John Updike

[NiceguyEddie]

If Roth gets a thread then surely too must Updike. The Rabbit books each were a snapshot of a period of American life. If he wrote nothing else in his life, those would rank him amongst the best authors of the last century.

 

They say the masters of American literature in the latter half of the Twentieth Century were, Roth, Updike & Saul Bellow. I've never read anything by Saul Bellow. Any suggestions? Easy stuff please.

[Guest Sedgewick]

I've never read anything by Saul Bellow. Any suggestions? Easy stuff please.

Well Sieze The Day is a nudge over 100 pages. Perhaps that is the best place to start. Personally, having tried his masterwork The Adventures Of Augie March and finding myself rereading the opening paragraph repeatedly until it started to make sense, I decided I did not fancy reading however many hundred pages, taking each paragraph five run throughs at a time. But I have his first Dangling Man, which looks an easier read from the brief flickthrough I gave it.

[Freewheeling Andy]

This is one of those moments where I feel like a shamed, ill-read, uneducated fool, isn't it? How long have I been thinking "I must read some Updike (and, by the way, Bellow, too)", and always had other stuff I wanted to read more.

[Philip Stein]

Easy Bellow? That's simple: no such thing. I've struggled with him whatever I've tried. Good luck.

 

The Rabbit books each were a snapshot of a period of American life. If he wrote nothing else in his life, those would rank him amongst the best authors of the last century.

 

Each time I read another non-Rabbit book by him, I wish he had written nothing else in his life. He's awfully variable.

[scottishbookworm]

I read John updike's book that was made into the movie "The witches of eastwick" the book was great read!

[Guest Sedgewick]

I read John updikes book that was made into the movie The witches of eastwick the book was great read!

You will probably love his forthcoming novel, since it is a sequel: The Widows of Eastwick. I think it is out during the late autumn.

[scottishbookworm]

You will probably love his forthcoming novel, since it is a sequel: The Widows of Eastwick. I think it is out during the late autumn.

thanks for letting me know sedgewick!

 

[Kell]

I read John updike's book that was made into the movie "The witches of eastwick" the book was great read!

 

You will probably love his forthcoming novel, since it is a sequel: The Widows of Eastwick. I think it is out during the late autumn.

I've just checked out the synopsis on Fantastic Fiction and I'll definitely be looking out for that one - like SBW, The Witches of Eastwick is the only Updike I've read so far and I loved it. Not only was the story completely engaging, the writing has wonderful flow - I'm hoping this is indicative of his style as I plan to read the Rabbit series at some point in the near future (although how near "near" is I haven't a clue, as I haven't yet got them and life looks like it could get in the way of a lot of my readnig in the very near future!).

[NiceguyEddie]

He's awfully variable.

 

That's probably true. I gave up on A Month of Sundays. It required a level of prior reading that I don't have.

 

The others I've read are Terrorist, Marry Me & Couples. I read the Rabbit books back to back. All of which were very good reads.

[Kell]

I've just had a lovely John Updike related surprise! A while back, my Dad gave me several boxes of abridged books from Readers Digest to dispose of as I saw fit. On bringing a bagful of them into work to pop into the charity box this morning, I realised that one of them was an UNabridged hardback bookclub edition of Marry Me by John Updike! So, I've decided to hold onto that one for a little while and give it a try.

[Philip Stein]

That's probably true. I gave up on A Month of Sundays. It required a level of prior reading that I don't have.

 

The others I've read are Terrorist, Marry Me & Couples. I read the Rabbit books back to back. All of which were very good reads.

 

I enjoyed Marry Me very much, and keep meaning to get around to Couples. I read A Month of Sundays just the other week, and hated it. I don't think it's fair to say it requires a level of prior reading (you mean on religion etc?) - it's just not a very good book!

[NiceguyEddie]

I don't think it's fair to say it requires a level of prior reading (you mean on religion etc?)

 

Yes. It was a few years ago, but I recall that there were many, many religious references that just whizzed by me.

[Kell]

I started Marry Me at lunch time and even though I'm only a couple of chapters in I'm already enjoying it. I think this could be a very good one so I'm looking forward to getting further into it.

 

Right from the start I love Updike's style - he has a way of managing to describe things perfectly but without using many words, and sometimes does it in such an achingly beautiful way that I just want to cry (or perhaps that's my hormones overloading - LOL!). The last time I felt this way over a writer's style was when I read Lolita by Nabokov - both make me feel like never putting pen to paper ever again* because there's just no way anything I ever tried to write could possibly compare!

 

* Not that I've ever been published, but I had hoped that one day I might write something of worth - I'm feeling simultaneously inspired to do better and disheartened that I'll never reach that level!

[Philip Stein]

I think Marry Me is the best of the non-Rabbit Updike books that I've read, Kell. I just thought it was an absolute blast. I've struggled with most others I've tried: The Poorhouse Fair, Roger's Version, A Month of Sundays... In fact, funny you should mention Lolita because the main thing I hated about A Month of Sundays was that Updike seemed to be trying to write like Nabokov - and failing, because he's not Nabokov. He is however Updike, and sometimes that's plenty good enough.

[NiceguyEddie]

Even though it didn't get brilliant reviews, Terrorist was a fine and enjoyable novel. It wasn't Rabbit, but then even if Updike never writes anything quite as good again, neither will just about any one else.

[Philip Stein]

It wasn't Rabbit, but then even if Updike never writes anything quite as good again, neither will just about any one else.

 

Now therein lies a debate! I remember Martin Amis in The War Against Clich

[NiceguyEddie]

Now therein lies a debate! I remember Martin Amis in The War Against Clich

[Philip Stein]

I can't remember who th original quote was by, but it could have been Joseph Heller himself with reference to Catch 22

Spot on; I remember it now. Something like Heller saying, "Whenever people say to me, How come you haven't written anything as good as Catch-22, I reply, Well, neither has anyone else."

 

Funnily enough I don't agree with him - because I think Something Happened is better. It's a horrible, bleak, bitter book, but absolutely wonderful. Written in a circular, repetitive monotone by a successful executive with wife, children and lovely house - and who is absolutely crushed to death with misery. I'm probably not selling it very well, but there is terrific black humour and the long snaking sentences become hypnotic and poetic. Just about every page is quotable in its way, but out of context it would seem bizarre or boring. The cumulative effect is extraordinary. It also has a terrific opening paragraph:

 

I get the willies when I see closed doors. Even at work, where I am doing so well now, the sight of a closed door is sometimes enough to make me dread that something horrible is happening behind it, something that is going to affect me adversely; if I am tired and dejected from a night of lies or booze or sex or just nerves and insomnia, I can almost smell the disaster mounting invisibly and flooding out toward me through the frosted glass panes. My hands may perspire, and my voice may come out strange. I wonder why.

 

Something must have happened to me sometime.

And closing lines:

 

Nobody knows what I've done. Everyone seems pleased with the way I've taken command.

And middle lines, such as this on his daughter growing up:

 

There was a cheerful baby girl in a high chair in my house once, who ate and drank with a hearty appetite and laughed a lot with spontaneous zest: she isn't here now; and there is no trace of her anywhere.

But I could never say it as well as Kurt Vonnegut did, reviewing the book for the NY Times on publication in 1974. And if that doesn't make you want to read it, nothing will!

 

One thing I will say is that I've read it three or four times, and I find it less funny and more frightening as I get older...

 

EDIT: Sorry, I think you may need to register to read that NY Times link. But it's free, and it's worth it!

[NiceguyEddie]

Gold is a great book too. It's a while since I read it, but the main character (Gold) is a member of a jewish family with whom he has issues. Mainly with his brother (Sid?) who continually winds him up. Very, very funny indeed.

 

I'll look out for Something Happened.