Rating: 
Summary: Genious at Work
Review: When I read this book, I thought of the faults of all human beings but how we all strive to be as good as we can be.
Harry is a very average, and is challenged by a lot of imperfections. Updike is a writer who can take average situations and make them surreal. Harry's angst about his son who is hooked on cocaine, the nature of the car business, and his dull and boring marriage. While being angry at his son's addiction, Harry is addicted to food and the comfort commercial America promises him. As the Publisher's Weekly stated, its about the aborted American dream, or is Updike saying something deeper about American, about its meaningless materialism and about the things we value. This was the best of the Rabbit series. The writing about Harry's slow personal disintegration can be painful to read about, but even more painful, finding some parallels between my life and Harry's. Reading Updike is like entering a colorful dream world which also urges the soul to consider some grim realities. Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown Eyed Boy" p.s. Another Updike book I would recommend: "Roger's Version"
Rating:
Summary: Genious at Work
Review: When I read this book, I thought of the faults of all human beings but how we all strive to be as good as we can be.
Harry is a very average, and is challenged by a lot of imperfections. Updike is a writer who can take average situations and make them surreal. Harry's angst about his son who is hooked on cocaine, the nature of the car business, and his dull and boring marriage. While being angry at his son's addiction, Harry is addicted to food and the comfort commercial America promises him. As the Publisher's Weekly stated, its about the aborted American dream, or is Updike saying something deeper about American, about its meaningless materialism and about the things we value. This was the best of the Rabbit series. The writing about Harry's slow personal disintegration can be painful to read about, but even more painful, finding some parallels between my life and Harry's. Reading Updike is like entering a colorful dream world which also urges the soul to consider some grim realities. Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown Eyed Boy" p.s. Another Updike book I would recommend: "Roger's Version"
Rating:
Summary: Rabbit At Rest
Review: Whilst reading the corresponding reviews earlier for this novel I couln't help being envious that our American cousins get the likes of this genius book to study at school. For those who aren't familiar with Updike's work the rabbit series is a fine place to start. The four books in the series are not only eminently readable but also serve as a keen snapshot of 20th centuary American life. The protagonist 'Rabbit' although a very 'male' character is someone who anybody with a heart beating in their chest could identify with. At times fustratingly small-minded at others warm and poetic Rabbit stumbles through the story as we do through life, drawing sympathy from the reader. So that by this the fourth novel his worries are also our concerns and his victories fill us with jubilation. As other reviewers have mentioned, don't dive straight into this book on the back of it's award winning status. Take the time to discover the books in chronological order and welcome the final book as you would your dearest brother.
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