The John Updike Encyclopedia

Rating:
Summary: GOLDEN NUGGETS OF UPDIKE
Review: Kudos are in order! The long-awaited John Updike Encyclopedia by Jack De Bellis is now available--a treasure trove of information on all aspects of John Updike's work and life, with a complete chronology, analytical index, and other useful features for general readers, students, and researchers.

All Updike fans will praise Jack De Bellis for bringing forth this hefty companion, chock full of golden nuggets about Updike the artist and his literary creations. That JU undoubtedly will consult this fine and elaborate synthesis of himself and his literary output countless times is perhaps the highest praise for this unique work of reference and literary history.

The encyclopedic format, with alphabetical entries, is user friendly and lets the reader choose a random perusal or a more purposeful reading throughout its 550 pages. And a very complete analytical index will point to any specific topic the reader may choose. Many of the entries are substantial enough to be essays--like the first I read, ``The Creative Process,'' that was over 3 pages long. Then I went on to read others at random, focusing on fascinating tidbits that just kept jumping off the page, many of which were little known biographical facts about Updike. Indeed, the idea that a concise biography is available in these pages came to me after spending about an hour with the book.

This book will become a lifetime companion to many of us who greatly admire the artistry of John Updike. And even though Greenwood Press's reference book price is high for this first hardcover edition, the John Updike Encyclopedia will have a long and useful life, which makes it a bargain for all of us who understand how important Mr. Updike and his work are to American literature. My congratulations, praise, and sincere thanks to Jack De Bellis for this wonderful work.

Neil McAleer