Rating: 
Summary: Rabbit Review
Review: Updike often writes like an overgrown, angry adolescent. There is a lot of bitterness in regards to some of the basic facts of life (as when Rabbit compares bringing a child into the world to pushing someone you know into a furnace) and he has a wonderful ability to see throught the boring nonsense of the world that others by into.That's why even though Updike's characters and preoccupations are truly immersed in the world there is always the sense that nothing in this world ever satisfies, not sex, money or human relations- they are all a let down. The dead are a continual presence in Rabbit's mind and at points in the narrative he feels eerily close to them, right beneath his feet, right above the stars. Death-obsessed, self-absorbed writers are often the most powerful, for unlike others they tend to stare the bitter fact of death in the face without a stoical copout of acceptance. No, instead of being calm and placid about death, Rabbit is all anger; not only will he die, but life in the meantime will often be a dissapointment. No wonder I can rarely read more than 2 Updike novels in a row - he's so miserable!!! Cheer up John!!! It goes without saying that as the name Updike is on the cover of the book, you can depend on the writing being cleanly beautiful. Nabokov pointed out that the imagery of Dickens is spaced perfectly between the more necessary information of the plot, and I think the same applies to Updike - he exhibits perfect control over his lyricism and his poetics can achieve a higher pitch against the backdrop of seemingly mundane details. The Rabbit series becomes deeper and richer as you go on, for every detail and interaction continues to mean more and more as the memory of past events strengthens the vividness of present events.
Rating: 
Summary: well written late-seventies angst and self indulgence
Review: Updike trys to be insightful in this book but kind of falls down for an answer. Maybe he wasn't in touch with himself or may be thats the point about Harry Angstrom the central character. At any rate its a good read and taken with the next book Rabbit at Rest Updike's reasoning seems to find closure. He captures something of a person through the hotch-potch of popular ideas floating about at the time of writing. Theres not a lot of deep ideas like Saul Bellow writes into his books, but theres raw feeling. I'm reminded of the car lot situation in Great Gatsby when I consider Angstrom except 50 odd years separates the two scenes still the same country though, I guess.
Rating: 
Summary: How Much Is Enough?
Review: When even the hapless Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom of Rabbit, Run and Rabbit Redux finds himself living the American Dream, circa 1980, in his own typical fashion, that is reactively, due to his father-in-law dying and his wife and mother-in-law giving him the car dealership to run, he finds himself missing something. Is it the 20 year old illegitimate child he suddenly suspects he's fathered? Resolution of issues, both psychological and territorial, with his son Nelson, eyewitness to the weakest moments of Harry's life, himself at a crossroads without many options? The bliss of a new relationship, perhaps with the youngest of country club wives the Angstroms pal around with these days? Or simply more wealth, and a home of their own, out and away from old Bessie and the Springer nest? Unlike the first two Rabbit books, this is a 423 page novel of minor buildups leading up to a less than monumental payoff, possessing a clear lack of important events(which may disappoint some readers). Rabbit is Rich seems to be more about the things we want than the things we get. Even as Harry exceeds his wildest imaginings, it is the constant hunger, longing, and awareness that the grave is hiding around the corner that makes him feel most human. The characters are much more vivid and believable in this book than the first sequel, and as always with Updike, every sentence is a delicacy.
Rating:
Summary: How Much Is Enough?
Review: When even the hapless Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom of Rabbit, Run and Rabbit Redux finds himself living the American Dream, circa 1980, in his own typical fashion, that is reactively, due to his father-in-law dying and his wife and mother-in-law giving him the car dealership to run, he finds himself missing something. Is it the 20 year old illegitimate child he suddenly suspects he's fathered? Resolution of issues, both psychological and territorial, with his son Nelson, eyewitness to the weakest moments of Harry's life, himself at a crossroads without many options? The bliss of a new relationship, perhaps with the youngest of country club wives the Angstroms pal around with these days? Or simply more wealth, and a home of their own, out and away from old Bessie and the Springer nest? Unlike the first two Rabbit books, this is a 423 page novel of minor buildups leading up to a less than monumental payoff, possessing a clear lack of important events(which may disappoint some readers). Rabbit is Rich seems to be more about the things we want than the things we get. Even as Harry exceeds his wildest imaginings, it is the constant hunger, longing, and awareness that the grave is hiding around the corner that makes him feel most human. The characters are much more vivid and believable in this book than the first sequel, and as always with Updike, every sentence is a delicacy.
Rating:
Summary: How Much Is Enough?
Review: When even the hapless Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom of Rabbit, Run and Rabbit Redux finds himself living the American Dream, circa 1980, in his own typical fashion, that is reactively, due to his father-in-law dying and his wife and mother-in-law giving him the car dealership to run, he finds himself missing something. Is it the 20 year old illegitimate child he suddenly suspects he's fathered? Resolution of issues, both psychological and territorial, with his son Nelson, eyewitness to the weakest moments of Harry's life, himself at a crossroads without many options? The bliss of a new relationship, perhaps with the youngest of country club wives the Angstroms pal around with these days? Or simply more wealth, and a home of their own, out and away from old Bessie and the Springer nest? Unlike the first two Rabbit books, this is a 423 page novel of minor buildups leading up to a less than monumental payoff, possessing a clear lack of important events(which may disappoint some readers). Rabbit is Rich seems to be more about the things we want than the things we get. Even as Harry exceeds his wildest imaginings, it is the constant hunger, longing, and awareness that the grave is hiding around the corner that makes him feel most human. The characters are much more vivid and believable in this book than the first sequel, and as always with Updike, every sentence is a delicacy.
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