Read Rabbit, Run. This novel by John Updike is a captivating and thought-provoking work. It tells the story of Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, a former high school basketball star who finds himself dissatisfied with his life and marriage. Rabbit embarks on a series of adventures and affairs, constantly seeking something more. The book explores themes such as identity, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness. Updike's writing is细腻 and vivid, bringing the characters and their world to life. Reading Rabbit, Run is an immersive experience that will make you reflect on your own life and choices. It is a classic novel that has stood the test of time and continues to be relevant today.

This was an extremely tough book to rate.

I began to read Updike shortly after his passing, having read a few of his poems in the New Yorker. Instantly, I became a fan and eagerly anticipated reading Rabbit, Run and Rabbit, Redux.

He is truly a remarkable writer. He has a profound love for words and wields them with greater skill than most.

The Rabbit books are set in Suburban Americana during the late fifties and early sixties.

Both are excellent reads and offer enjoyable "slices of life" from that era. However, there are some unexpected tragedies that occur, which were difficult for me to accept. I don't wish to be a spoiler, so I won't go into details. This is precisely the reason I couldn't give the book a perfect 5.

Nevertheless, he is a master of his craft, and I'm excitedly looking forward to reading the next installment, Rabbit, Rich.

I'm curious to see how the story will unfold and what new insights and emotions it will bring.

Updike's writing has a unique charm that keeps readers engaged and eager for more.

I'm sure that Rabbit, Rich will be just as captivating as its predecessors.

I can't wait to dive into this new adventure and continue exploring the world that Updike has created.

Four stars for the quality of the writing.

It is truly remarkable how the author crafts the words to bring the story to life.

However, only three stars for the story itself.

It has a tendency to get repetitive, with long descriptions of sex, politics, sport, or cars that often bog down the narrative.

The incredibly descriptive writing, which vividly paints a clear picture of these sorry lives, dragged me against my will into the non-adventures of the anti-hero, Rabbit.

It is a pathetic portrayal of the small lives some people lead, filled with pettiness, sexual fantasy, judgment of others, and small cruelties.

Even the descriptions of America, a beautiful country in reality, made me feel sad, as if everything was dirty and polluted, both literally and metaphorically.

This was not an enjoyable read, but it was an immersive one.

Perhaps reading three books in one go was too much, and I will definitely take a necessary break before tackling the fourth.

I can already tell in advance that the son is going to perpetuate the sins of the father, which doesn't bode well for the story's development.

Overall, it's a complex and thought-provoking work, but not without its flaws.

I truly despise these books to an extent that words fail me.

Every time I look at them, a wave of annoyance washes over me.

I can't seem to find any redeeming qualities in them.

They are just a source of frustration and irritation.

I don't understand why anyone would like these books.

Maybe it's just me, but I just can't bring myself to appreciate them.

I wish I could just get rid of them and never have to look at them again.

But unfortunately, they seem to be everywhere I turn.

It's like they are haunting me.

I hope that one day, I will be able to find books that I actually enjoy reading.

Until then, I will continue to endure these books with a heavy heart.

OK, I have some questions.

This time capsule of Playboy-era white anger doesn't read easily nowadays. Updike's protagonist Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, by today's standards, is extremely racist, sexist, and self-centered to the point of being completely unsympathetic. Surely the character and his actions were perceived differently in 1960 when the novel was praised for its frank depictions of lust and sexuality and considered bold in its characters' rejection of conservative mores such as religion, marital fidelity, and the nuclear family.

Updike, who called Rabbit "a brother to me," uses the weight of his prose to look down on the people in his novel. Women are described mainly by their appearance and little else. He is especially critical of those who are "fat" and snobbishly enjoys the details of imperfection he finds in everyone but himself. I see Rabbit as a more cruel version of Holden Caulfield with less humor, his angst driven by ordinary suburban male frustration rather than teenage hormones. So one question is... is this Updike or Rabbit? Is the book just judgment and prejudice, or is it a clever commentary on them?

Updike revisited Rabbit in later works and won the Pulitzer twice for it, so I feel compelled, if not currently enthusiastic, to continue this journey.

Rabbit Angstrom is perhaps one of the most contemptible characters in modern literature. He is incredibly selfish, always putting his own needs and desires above those of others. He is also indecisive, constantly vacillating between different options and never fully committing to anything. His arrogance is palpable, as he believes himself to be superior to those around him. He is rude and disrespectful, especially towards women, and his misogynistic views are deeply ingrained.

Yet, somehow, Updike manages to make the reader feel a certain degree of sympathy for Rabbit. We find ourselves saying, "well, maybe he's not such a bad guy after all." This is no small feat, and it is precisely what earned Updike the highly esteemed Pulitzer Prize.

I wholeheartedly recommend reading Rabbit Run and all the Rabbit novels, especially for those who subscribe to the Randian belief that selfishness is a virtue. In these books, we witness the direct consequences of loneliness, loss, hurt, and despair. It is not a pleasant sight, but it is a necessary one. Through Rabbit's story, we are forced to confront the darker aspects of human nature and to question our own values and beliefs.

Genius.

Genius is a term that is often used to describe individuals who possess extraordinary intellectual or creative abilities. These individuals have the capacity to think in ways that others cannot, to solve complex problems with ease, and to come up with innovative ideas and solutions.

Geniuses can be found in a variety of fields, including science, art, music, literature, and mathematics. They are often characterized by their intense focus, their curiosity, and their willingness to take risks and explore new ideas.

Some of the most famous geniuses in history include Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and William Shakespeare. These individuals have made significant contributions to their respective fields and have had a profound impact on the course of human history.

While genius is often associated with intelligence, it is important to note that it is not the same as intelligence. Intelligence is a measure of a person's cognitive abilities, while genius is a combination of intelligence, creativity, and other factors such as motivation, perseverance, and passion.

In conclusion, genius is a rare and remarkable quality that is possessed by only a few individuals. These individuals have the potential to make a significant impact on the world and to change the course of history.

Rabbit, Run is the first installment of Updike's Angstrom trilogy.

We are introduced to Harry Angstrom, nicknamed Rabbit, a former high school basketball star in his mid-20s. He leads a life with a wife he alternates between despising and loving, and a job that feels like a waste of time. One evening, after returning from work, Rabbit discovers his pregnant wife drunk and passed out at home, with their infant son in the care of his parents.

This prompts Rabbit's first run. He embarks on a long night drive, traveling from his family home in the Pennsylvanian town of Mount Judge/Brewer to Virginia and back. Along the way, a meeting with his high school coach brings him into contact with Ruth, a part-time prostitute he bullies into a relationship he convinces himself he loves. Meanwhile, the Rev Eccles, an Episcopalian minister, makes it his personal mission to save Rabbit.

Updike's narrative delves into Rabbit's inner life, suggesting he has strong spiritual impulses but lacks firm faith. He is also fickle and inconsistent, changing his commitments and resolutions in an instant.

The true picture of Angstrom emerges through his interactions with others. Through his wife, coach, Ruth, Eccles, Eccles' wife, his in-laws, and his parents, Rabbit's mediocrity becomes a force of nature, capable of contradicting more powerful perceptions of life and bringing tragedy to those around him. This is precisely what occurs.

Rabbit, Run serves as a great start to the other two novels in the trilogy.

31/1/11

On to Rabbit Redux.......

10 years later, Rabbit has entered middle age. He has been back with Janice all this time, and their son, Nelson, is on the verge of adolescence. Rabbit works as a linotypist, following in his father's footsteps. In the background, Armstrong and Aldrin circle the moon, US cities experience a summer of 'race riots', and Nixon directs the war in Vietnam.

Janice copes with her own approaching middle age by having an affair with a co-worker, the interesting, sensual, and liberal Charlie Stavros. Harry, in contrast, is none of these things. However, he reacts to Janice's infidelity with stoicism, feeling he has little to offer her anyway. After an evening of sex, he suggests to her that she continue her affair but be more discreet. She responds by leaving him completely and going to Stavros.

Rabbit then veers off in unpredictable directions. Barely able to hide his racism, he nevertheless agrees to a suggestion from a black colleague to meet him for a drink in a bar in the negro district of Brewer. There, he meets Babe, a pianist/singer, who seems to coax him into a degree of open-mindedness. This leads to encounters with the radical black power mystic, Skeeter, and Jill, an 18-year-old poor rich girl recovering from an obsessive relationship with a controlling drug addict.

Jill goes home with Rabbit, and they begin a sexual relationship that Updike describes explicitly. His earlier experiences with oral sex (with Ruth and then his wife) become a central part of his relationship with Jill. Jill aspires to a universalistic spirituality that starkly contrasts with her own despair over the direction of her life. She draws Nelson into a relationship where she is part older sister and part guru and guide.

The arrival of Skeeter in the home Rabbit shares with Jill conflicts with Harry's fundamentally conservative values. Skeeter taunts him as 'Chuck' and 'cracker', a white man trapped in the history of slavery and race oppression who is unable to challenge it. However, Skeeter is not political in the traditional sense. His insights and drug use have led him to an exaggerated self-image as a potential messiah, now on the run but soon to return in glory.

He is also extremely misogynistic, seeing women as nothing more than 'cunts' to be used. His particular use for Jill is to demand from her an account of the god she believed she met during a drug orgy with her former lover. The young woman is dragged back towards that world.

Harry himself is stuck in a nightmare where he has lost the ability to act on his own behalf. Only when dealing with his neighbors, who demand that he get rid of Skeeter, is he decisive.

But even this leads to disaster. One night, while out with Nelson visiting the home of Peggy Fosnacht, their home is firebombed. Skeeter escapes, but Jill succumbs to the smoke and flames.

Harry and Nelson return to his parents' home, in the presence of his dominant, adoring mother, who is now dying of Parkinson's disease. His sister, Mim, who has been away from the family for a long time, working as a high-class prostitute and rubbing shoulders with west coast gangsters, briefly returns to offer Rabbit her perspective on his life, suggesting that he has never truly learned how to live. Then Janice,痛苦不堪 after the end of her relationship with Stavros, places herself in a position where reconciliation with Rabbit seems possible. This is where the characters stand at the end of Rabbit Redux.

Harry Angstrom's reactions in this novel often seem implausible, but Updike appears to be using this fable of a middle American family falling apart as an opportunity to comment on the broader predicament of the United States itself. The American dream, once so powerful, seems increasingly malleable in the face of achievements in space, hippy mystics, black radicals, South East Asian entanglements, and the middle classes losing their grip on American neighborhoods and the economy.

14 August 2011

Rabbit is Rich, the third book in the Angstrom trilogy...

Ten years have passed, and Rabbit is back with Janice, and prosperous. He has taken over the top position in his father-in-law's Toyota dealership, and the new American focus on fuel economy means he is making money hand over fist.

The dominant relationship in Rabbit's life is now with Nelson, who is self-centered, directionless, and overindulging in liquor and drugs. He is also involved in complicated relationships that have led to a crisis in his life. Rabbit views his son with a mix of contempt, frustration, and a sense of responsibility for his predicament.

The Angstroms now lead a comfortably middle-class lifestyle, although they do not own a home and instead live with Janice's mother in a house that Harry finds gloomy and oppressive. He and Janice socialize with a nouveau riche set like themselves, revolving around tennis, golf, and cocktails at a country club that is not quite top-notch but sufficient for people of their status. The tone for this social circle is set by Wade Murkett, a slightly older man in his 50s. Like the leader of a pack, Wade has the most desirable mate, and Rabbit lusts after Cindy in his private fantasies.

There is another fantasy in Rabbit's life - the possibility that he has a daughter from his relationship with Ruth 20 years ago. Although he has had no personal contact with her, he knows that Ruth married a farmer and had children in a rural area outside of Brewer. A chance encounter with a girl he thinks could be his daughter leads to the discovery of her whereabouts. However, for most of this book, Harry ponders the ethics of introducing himself into the life of this young woman.

Nelson's situation worsens as he drops out of Kent State University and announces his desire to join his father in the car dealership. Rabbit is horrified at the prospect, as he knows Nelson lacks the necessary skills to succeed in the business. It is also revealed that Nelson has gotten a girl, Pru, pregnant during his time at Kent, and his life now seems to be closing in around the idea of an early marriage.

Despite his flaws, Nelson has a better understanding of America's economic situation than his father. While Harry only sees the impact of the energy crisis on American consumption, Nelson's hedonism allows him to spot a niche market for gas guzzling convertibles. Without his father's permission, he buys three such cars with the intention of selling them at a profit. When Rabbit finds out and refuses to support his plan, Nelson angrily crashes two of the cars together.

Meanwhile, Harry and Janice explore other ways to be extravagant in austerity USA within their middle-class social circle. A trip to the Caribbean with three other couples leads to an experiment in wife swapping, with varying results for all involved.

In the end, Nelson gets married, and he and Janice move into their own long-awaited house. As they look towards late middle age from their seemingly comfortable position, there are signs of trouble on the horizon. Nelson briefly flees his marriage after the birth of his daughter, and the consequences of their Caribbean experiment remain unclear.

However, Rabbit finally forces a meeting with Ruth, and it appears, though not with absolute certainty, that the girl is not his daughter. Ruth, now extremely obese but seemingly content with her life, suggests that throughout all these years, there has been another way of living that Rabbit knows little about. She refuses to share any of its secrets with him.

And so the trilogy comes to an end. One can't help but wonder if there were a fourth volume, with Rabbit on the verge of old age, it would once again be set within the context of middle America facing new challenges. Perhaps it would explore the consequences of Reagan's efforts to reassert US global authority as the system begins to decline?

These are excellent books, and I'm glad I took the time to immerse myself in them during the summer of 2011.

27 August 2011

Updike employs words as his artistic medium to vividly depict a portrait of ennui and angst. The subject of his creation is Rabbit, an unhappy former high school jock. Rabbit meanders through life in a listless manner, causing harm to his family and friends along the way. Even the assistance from an agnostic Episcopalian priest fails to rescue Rabbit.

The second book surpasses the first in length and splendidly captures the zeitgeist of 1969. This time around, Rabbit doesn't take flight; instead, someone else does. To discover who it is that runs, one must peruse the book. The two novels combined form a rather arduous marathon, yet the journey is undeniably worthwhile. I am eagerly anticipating commencing the reading of the second half of Updike's quadrilogy to observe how Rabbit Angstrom conducts himself as a middle-aged man.

It is truly fascinating to witness Updike's masterful storytelling and character development. His ability to bring Rabbit to life and explore the complex emotions and experiences of this flawed individual is remarkable. The first two novels have already set the stage for what promises to be an engaging and thought-provoking continuation of Rabbit's story.

I have no doubt that the remaining two books will offer further insights into Rabbit's life and the evolving world around him. As I embark on this literary adventure, I am excited to see where Updike will take us and how Rabbit will navigate the challenges and opportunities that come his way in the second half of the quadrilogy.

I thoroughly enjoyed all of the books in this series.

Each book within the series offered a unique and captivating storyline that kept me engaged from start to finish.

The characters were well-developed and relatable, making it easy for me to become invested in their lives and experiences.

The authors' writing styles were diverse yet equally engaging, with vivid descriptions that brought the settings and events to life in my mind.

Whether it was a thrilling adventure, a heartwarming romance, or a thought-provoking mystery, every book in the series had something special to offer.

I found myself eagerly anticipating the release of each new installment, and I was never disappointed.

This series has truly become one of my favorites, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great read.

Seldom do I finish a whole book in one day. However, after spending four days reading John Updike’s first novel—Rabbit, Run—I grew curious about Updike. So, I delved into the sequel, Rabbit Redux, and completed it in just over 24 hours (while also burning sound files and removing a nasty virus from my computer… yay for multi-tasking…).

What initiated this reading spree? Well, you might be aware that Updike passed away recently. Our book club sort of randomly chose his first novel for our February read. (The somewhat haphazard decision-making our club is currently experiencing is a bit frustrating, but it does fit the theme of the first book.) After finishing the first book, I渴望更多地了解 Updike’s perspective on the character of Rabbit, so I immediately read the second book.

Rabbit, Run was a contemporary novel set in 1960, in the fictional manufacturing town of Brewer, Pennsylvania. Rabbit Angstrom, a young husband and father with a dead-end job, goes out to buy cigarettes for his pregnant, drunk wife Janice. While out, he decides to leave Janice, “running” from a life that has left him frustrated. Rabbit, once a great basketball star and still a bit of a ladies’ man, has no plans. He is using his charm to pursue whatever catches his fancy at the moment. His struggle is a curious mix of fear of stagnation and the desire for domesticity; after leaving Janice, Rabbit almost immediately enters into a cozy cohabitation with a part-time prostitute, Ruth.

What is both fascinating and frustrating about the novel is how Updike defines Rabbit mainly through action. The third-person narrative does not explain Rabbit’s need to flee and start over. It’s as if we are supposed to accept this as a somewhat destructive but inherent part of Rabbit’s nature (just like his narcissism and autocratic sex drive). Every now and then, Updike would allow a long paragraph or two of Rabbit’s internal thoughts, but these do little to clarify things.

What is even more frustrating is how Updike often忽视了 Rabbit 系列书籍中的女性角色, only providing some motivation or insight at crucial points in the book—as if women and their thoughts, wants, and needs are a complete mystery to Updike. (Interestingly, Updike also wrote The Witches of Eastwick, which I assume is more female-centered, perhaps...I haven’t read it). You notice this disregard for women in the Rabbit books in stark contrast to how Updike gives insight into all of the men—into the married couple’s fathers, into an old coach of Rabbit’s, and into a priest determined to help Rabbit. The only woman Updike seems to understand well is the cold and intelligent atheist wife of the minister.

It doesn’t make for a bad novel, but it does make me interested in the many gaps it presents. We never understand what the prostitute-girlfriend Ruth wants. We never quite grasp the essence of Rabbit’s mom’s animosity towards her own son and his new bride and life. We don’t know why Rabbit is preternaturally determined to flee. We can’t understand why, despite having a lovely child and a financially supportive family (even with her critical mother), Rabbit’s wife Janice cannot completely stop drinking—why she is prone to self-destructive depression.

What is interesting about the second book—the sequel Rabbit Redux—is how much Rabbit has changed into an old curmudgeon in just ten years. His carefreeness is gone, replaced by deeper sexism, more racism, and a general quiet acceptance that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. The Vietnam War is failing, his son is turning into a bit of an androgynous hippie, and Rabbit’s relationship is in serious trouble. It doesn’t help that Rabbit has become such a crusty, inflexible, judgmental jerk.

When a major upheaval occurs in his life, Rabbit slowly and somewhat reluctantly enters the current world of 1970. His house becomes a sort of commune, making room for a drug-dealing ex-vet—who is also black. Rabbit’s son brings home a free-love girl who brings the palpable scent of sex and competition to a house of three men.

Once again, the gaps are there. Why does Rabbit go against his earlier nature and start to accept promiscuity and drugs? What happened to Rabbit’s earlier longing to flee? Why does this girl put herself in a dangerous and sexually charged situation? How come no one mentions how bad things are getting at the house?

I sense that Updike used the Rabbit character as a reflection of the times, to explore contemporary issues. However, Rabbit is always thoroughly male—even a bit misogynistic, self-centered, and narrow-minded—that using this character as a mirror raises more questions than it answers. Updike seems to endow Rabbit with sexuality and sexism, claiming for his character a sort of uber-masculinity that can often be downright repulsive.

One wonders if, between Updike’s lovely, sharp, and poetic prose and intriguing plot—and there is a lot of amazing writing here; he was a VERY talented writer—Updike is also himself extremely sexist and male-obsessed. Is he giving permission to men to be these reverted cavemen of sexual urges and oblique, egocentric longing? Is it okay to abandon your wife and family? To take up with a prostitute who you later humiliate? To make advances on a minister’s wife because you sense she may find you attractive? Is it “just being a guy” to want sex with a young woman who offers herself to you for no clear reason? Are you bonding with your son by inviting a black drug-dealer and a free-love girl into your house?

I guess, in the long run, I will read the other installments (there are three more Rabbit books) and form an opinion of what Updike is trying to convey through Rabbit and whether Rabbit’s sexism is a character trait or a characteristic of Updike’s writing.

This series is truly obnoxious.

It is not worth the arduous task of trawling through the unrelenting misogyny and racism that pervades it in an attempt to unearth some sort of redemption or valuable insight.

The question that begs to be asked is: how on earth did this series manage to warrant three separate entries in the highly regarded 1001 books list?

One would expect that a list of such significance would uphold certain standards and values, yet this series seems to blatantly violate those expectations.

The presence of such offensive and harmful themes not only detracts from the overall quality of the work but also leaves a bad taste in the mouths of readers.

It is disheartening to see that something with such glaring flaws could be included in a list that is supposed to represent the best of literature.

Perhaps a reevaluation of the selection process is in order to ensure that future entries are more deserving and do not perpetuate such negative and divisive ideas.