When John Updike passed away recently, it dawned on me that I was not familiar with his work.

I initially read "Rabbit, Run", and while I was captivated by the fluidity of his writing, on the whole, I was rather underwhelmed.

Subsequently, I selected this thick book of stories. I have a passion for short stories, and within its pages are some truly remarkable gems.

I make it a point to read it every morning, savoring each story and allowing myself to be transported into the worlds that Updike has created.

As I delve deeper into his collection, I am beginning to appreciate the nuances and subtleties of his writing, and I am eager to explore more of his works.

Although my first encounter with Updike's writing did not leave a lasting impression, this book of stories has opened my eyes to his talent and has made me a believer.

I look forward to continuing my journey of discovery and uncovering the many treasures that his writing has to offer.

Rereading all of these is wonderful.

It truly doesn't date. The words still hold the same power and charm as they did when first read.

Each time one delves back into these pages, new details emerge, new interpretations can be made.

The stories and ideas within seem to transcend time and remain relevant in different eras.

It's like having a timeless treasure chest that one can open again and again, always finding something precious.

Rereading allows for a deeper connection with the text, a more profound understanding of its nuances.

It's a journey that never gets old, a way to rediscover the beauty and wisdom that lies within the written word.

Whether it's a classic novel, a thought-provoking essay, or a beloved poem, rereading is a pleasure that enriches our lives and broadens our perspectives.

It reminds us of the enduring value of good literature and the joy it can bring.

So, pick up those old favorites and start rereading. You'll be amazed at what you find.

I purchased this on my Kindle with the intention of having short stories readily available for travel reading, which is absolutely perfect for airplane rides. I had read the Rabbit Run trilogy several years ago, but had mostly left Updike aside, except for his New Yorker stories and his critical writing, which I find truly fascinating. I had the opportunity to hear him speak at a conference a few years ago, and it reminded me to re-read his books from the 1970s - 1980s. I did so, and was really struck by how much more they had to tell me with a 20-year distance. Perhaps it's because I am now the age of Antrim in his spiral, or maybe it's because those 20 years have been 20 eventful years...

Anyhow, these stories reveal a more insecure Updike, as one would expect. A younger, less successful, and less experienced author tells his stories in a voice that I find very appealing. It's interesting to see his evolution as a writer through these early works. The stories have a certain charm and authenticity that draw the reader in and make them want to keep reading. They offer a glimpse into a different time and a different mindset, and it's a pleasure to explore them.

A Good Taste of Updike's Young Work

John Updike is a renowned American writer, and his young work offers a fascinating glimpse into his budding talent.

His early stories and novels are filled with vivid descriptions and细腻的 characterizations. The language he uses is rich and engaging, drawing the reader in and making them feel as if they are part of the story.

One of the remarkable aspects of Updike's young work is his ability to capture the essence of human nature. He explores themes such as love, loss, and identity with great depth and sensitivity.

His characters are complex and multi-dimensional, often struggling with their own inner demons.

Another interesting feature is his use of setting. Updike creates detailed and immersive worlds that add to the overall atmosphere of his stories.

Whether it's a small town in New England or a bustling city, the setting becomes a character in itself.

Overall, reading Updike's young work is a rewarding experience. It allows us to see the beginnings of a great writer and to appreciate the evolution of his craft over time.

These are an absolute must-read for students of the modern short story.

The numerous short stories collected here showcase Updike's early works all the way up to his mid-career. There is a second volume that I have not yet read but fully intend to.

Updike is perhaps the equivalent of Hawthorne in our contemporary time frame. The moral aspects of character development and experience, which were often presented in black and white or shades of gray in Hawthorne's works, are here brilliantly depicted in the subtlest of color shades, much like the transition from black and white film to modern color stock.

Updike also possesses an artist's eye, a "lucid eye" for detail that reveals not only color nuances but also the emotions and actions of characters within domestic settings. He is even compared to Vermeer for his beautiful detailing of scenes, not just for the sake of color and form themselves but for the implied meanings that flow through the experiences.

If you are considering writing fiction, whether in short or long formats, I highly encourage you to carefully read his collected works. I can think of no better teacher if you aspire to write about modern social experiences, especially those related to domestic life, sexual relations between men and women, divorce, children, and life within long-standing marriages.

Updike's short stories are what initially captured my attention, and I firmly believe that this is the domain where he showcases his finest work.

I do have an appreciation for his novels as well. However, when he distills his stories to their bare essentials, his remarkable insight and the subtle truths that lie within shine through with even greater clarity.

The brevity of the short story format seems to bring out the best in Updike. It allows him to focus on the core elements of a narrative, eliminating any extraneous details and presenting a concise yet powerful exploration of human nature, relationships, and the human condition.

In his short stories, we can witness his masterful use of language, his ability to create vivid characters in just a few strokes, and his talent for revealing profound truths in the most unexpected ways.

Overall, while Updike's novels are certainly值得称赞, it is his short stories that truly stand out and leave a lasting impression on the reader.

I just couldn't bring myself to finish this book, no matter how hard I tried and tried.

John Updike is indeed a truly phenomenal writer, with his masterful use of language and his ability to create vivid and complex characters.

However, for some reason, the stories in this particular book just couldn't seem to hold my focus.

I found myself constantly getting distracted, my mind wandering to other things.

After almost a whole year of断断续续 trying to read it, I finally had to admit defeat and reluctantly returned the book to our book exchange.

It was a bit of a disappointment, but I guess not every book is going to be a perfect fit for every reader.

Maybe I'll give Updike another try with a different book sometime in the future.

Somehow, it seems to me that John Updike is under-appreciated.

Even though the man has won numerous awards, appeared in the New Yorker countless times, and published god-knows how many books, you just don't hear his name thrown around too much in discussions about our country's greatest writers.

However, this book illustrates with startling clarity just how deserving he is of a place among the masters of the form.

Any collection consisting of so many stories will have some duds, but standouts like "Toward Evening" and "Separating" are jaw-droppingly good.

I don't know, maybe I've spent too much time in grad school, where his name is barely mentioned, but for me, Updike's work is one of the cornerstones of American fiction.

This book is a fine (if large) introduction to his short fiction. It showcases his remarkable ability to capture the essence of human nature and the subtleties of relationships.

Updike's writing is细腻 and profound, painting vivid pictures in the reader's mind.

His stories are not only entertaining but also thought-provoking, making us reflect on our own lives and the world around us.

Despite his relative lack of mainstream recognition, Updike's contributions to American literature are significant and should not be overlooked.

This collection serves as a reminder of his talent and importance, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in great short fiction.

A 22-year evolution is presented in 105 stories.

Chronologically, we can bask in Updike's myriad identities. He was the small town boy with the big city talent, emerging from humble beginnings with remarkable literary prowess.

He was also the old school Christian whose faith wavered but never wilted, constantly grappling with the challenges of belief in a changing world.

Updike was the self-appointed barometer of 1960's middle class temperament,敏锐地捕捉 and reflecting the values and attitudes of that era.

He was the unstoppable lothario, adding class to carnality, exploring the complex nature of human relationships and desires.

And he was the cheeky experimentalist, confidently adrift in his voluminous verbiage, unafraid to push the boundaries of literary form and style.

Together, these various incarnations of Updike have penned the definitive diary of a generation's bumpy exodus from Eisenhower's Eden to the something-less-than promised land of Ford, documenting the social, cultural, and personal changes that took place during that tumultuous period.

I thought A&P was really good, but good lord - some of the Maples stories are impossibly well-crafted. It's truly amazing how well-written they are. The author is a true master of style and syntax. Each sentence is carefully constructed, and the words flow together beautifully. The stories are engaging and captivating, drawing the reader in from the very beginning.

The details are vivid and realistic, making it easy to imagine the characters and the settings. It's like being transported into another world. The use of language is so precise and effective that it adds depth and nuance to the stories.

I can't help but be in awe of the author's talent. These stories are a pleasure to read and a great example of what good writing can do. I highly recommend them to anyone who loves literature and appreciates the art of storytelling.

This is an extremely interesting collection.

I am not typically a devoted reader of short stories. However, I was more than happy to work my way through these. They more or less led me on a chronological journey from the nineteen fifties to the nineteen seventies and through the lives that spanned from childhood to old age and death.

The stories indeed mirror Updike and his world. They are the tales of a well-educated American male. For me, being a non-American male born in the 1940s, they powerfully and vividly evoked the world that I remember so well from the culture that permeated the universe during those decades.

The writing is effortlessly readable and fairly straightforward, lacking an obvious "style". Some of the characters I found fascinating to read about, while others not so much.

One不禁 wonders, was America truly that preoccupied with extra-marital affairs during those days?

This collection encompasses all the short stories penned by John Updike between 1953 and 1975, with the exception of four. He selected the conclusion of this period to coincide with the end of his first marriage. Many of his tales draw inspiration from his own life, a characteristic of his style, mirroring the era and events of his life at a particular juncture.

It took me a span of 19 months to peruse this collection. With numerous short story compilations, I am typically able to read a story daily or every few days. However, in this instance, I found myself reading these stories in large portions, devoting my attention to them for a period, only to lose interest and set them aside for months at a time. Part of the issue was the substantial length of the collection, consisting of 103 stories spread over 833 pages, and part was related to the content. I adored some of the stories, loathed others, and found a significant number to be of moderate interest; for me, the collection was a veritable mixed bag.

I rated each of the stories as I read them, and the results were as follows:

5 stars: 23
4 stars: 33
3 stars: 33
2 stars: 12
1 star: 2

The collection included 13 out of the 19 stories featuring Richard and Joan Maple. I relished them and deemed most of them to be outstanding. The collection also contained one Henry Bech story; although I did not find this particular story captivating, I was sufficiently intrigued by the Henry Bech character to potentially explore more of these stories in the future. A few of my personal favorites in this collection were:

Who Made Yellow Roses Yellow?
The Doctor’s Wife
Incest
Unstuck

Updike’s finest stories center around complex adult relationships, often zeroing in on a husband and wife. Many of the stories involve extramarital sex or affairs. Over the years, I have read a considerable amount of Updike’s work. I have come to the conclusion that I enjoy some of what he writes, especially the Rabbit novels, but not all.

I wanted to share a thought regarding comprehensive collections of short stories, such as this one, which either include everything an author wrote during a specific period or everything the author has ever written. These comprehensive collections frequently receive extremely high ratings on GR. This surprises me because the collections of this nature that I have read often consist of a blend of very good stories and not-so-good ones. I envision storytelling as a learning process where one improves with practice. Either an author must discard early attempts, which is impossible if something has already been published, or the complete works will inevitably reflect that learning curve. Additionally, as in Updike’s case, an author will engage in experimentation, and some of those experiments will not bear fruit. If a collection of short stories is highly rated, I suppose I anticipate all the stories to be of exceptionally high quality or at least the average to be of a high standard. That has not been my experience thus far. I often observe that the ratings of these collections do not align with what I perceive to be the average quality of the stories. I might attribute this to a matter of taste, as I do when my assessment of a novel differs from that of many others, but this phenomenon seems to occur too frequently with these comprehensive short story collections to be solely attributed to a difference in taste. My hunch is that some readers focus solely on the outstanding stories when awarding a rating to a comprehensive collection.