Everyone knows Rabbit, and deep down, unless they are deceiving themselves, they can see a little of themselves in him, or in Janice, or Nelson, or any of the other delightfully imperfect characters who play significant roles throughout this series. I have devoured these books countless times, likely due to the intoxicating blend of Updike's lyrical prose and the vivid picture he描绘s of Brewer and its surrounding suburbs. The Pennsylvania depicted in the Rabbit series is strikingly similar to my own, and it holds a special place in my heart.

The way Updike brings the characters to life is truly remarkable. Each one is flawed in their own unique way, yet they are all so relatable. Rabbit's restlessness and search for meaning in life, Janice's insecurities, and Nelson's struggles with growing up - these are all emotions and experiences that we can all identify with.

The setting of Brewer and its suburbs also adds to the allure of the series. Updike's descriptions make the town come alive, with its bustling streets, quiet neighborhoods, and the ever-present backdrop of the Pennsylvania countryside. It's a place that feels both familiar and foreign, and it draws the reader in and makes them want to explore every corner.

The first two installments in the four-novel saga of Rabbit Angstrom present a vivid portrait of a horny and hedonistic hero. His tumultuous life serves as a marker of America's social transformation from the buttoned-up 1950s to the unrestrained 1960s.

"Rabbit Run," a small domestic drama written with the panache of Joyce, artfully blurs the boundaries between the WASP and the modern man. It delves into the complex emotions and relationships within a family,展现出人性的多面性.

"Rabbit Redux," published 11 years later, takes this exploration further. However, it semi-reduces Rabbit to a symbol, a "good-hearted imperialist racist." He engages in a point-counterpoint with a kooky concubine and a black militant, enabling a comprehensive examination of the times. Despite the soapbox moments, the novel features great dialect, finely detailed sex scenes (as expected), and powerful descriptive language that brings the story to life.

Together, these two novels offer a captivating look at a changing America and the people who inhabit it.

I truly enjoyed both of the two books in this Volume to an extremely high degree. In fact, I managed to finish them during a 4-day trip to South Carolina. Updike has an amazing talent for bringing things into such clear and precise focus. His descriptions are vivid and detailed, making the reader feel as if they are right there in the story.

My absolute favorites of the 'Rabbit' series are "Rabbit Run" and "Rabbit is Rich". What's remarkable is that he continuously develops the characters, even though they themselves never seem to change. They all appear to be so tragically resigned to a course of action that is frighteningly familiar to anyone who comes from the suburbs. I firmly believe that he captures each decade that the books seem to occupy simply through his characters' trends and modes of thinking. And let's not forget about the cover design. It is also very eye-catching and adds to the overall appeal of the books.

Overall, I highly recommend these books to anyone who enjoys well-written and thought-provoking literature.

A fact checker from the early years of Fast Company magazine had a conversation with me. She told me that she firmly believed I would have a great liking for this particular author, and specifically for this series. As it turns out, she was absolutely right. The works are truly outstanding. I read Updike with a sense of awe, marveling at the fact that he could achieve things that I could never even dream of. His writing is so profound and masterful.

However, I really don't understand why he is sometimes called a misogynist. There is no evidence in his works that would suggest such a thing. His characters, both male and female, are complex and multi-dimensional. He explores the human condition with great sensitivity and洞察力. Maybe some people misinterpret his works or take certain passages out of context. But in my opinion, Updike is a literary genius whose works deserve to be studied and appreciated.

This two-volume edition is truly very nice.

Each volume is精心crafted with high-quality paper and a beautiful cover design that immediately catches the eye.

The content within is equally impressive, presenting a wealth of valuable information and engaging stories.

Whether you are a collector or simply someone who enjoys reading, this edition is sure to satisfy.

The two volumes work together seamlessly, offering a comprehensive and in-depth exploration of the subject matter.

It is a great addition to any bookshelf and a wonderful gift for someone special.

You will not be disappointed with this two-volume edition.

It is extremely challenging to review this trilogy without revealing spoilers! I must admit that it took me a certain amount of time to truly engage with Rabbit Run. However, once I got into the rhythm, I thoroughly relished all three novels.

The story chronicles the adult life of Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom. In his teenage years, he was an adored basketball player. But by his early 20's, he finds himself selling kitchen appliances, with a 2-year-old son and Janice, his heavily pregnant and alcoholic wife. Lacking the emotional maturity to handle the fact that his promising life has turned into something he despises, he flees. This reveals his cowardice, huge ego, and hypocrisy (traits that recur throughout the trilogy), which ultimately lead to tragedy.

In Rabbit Redux, 10 years have passed. Rabbit seems to have mended his relationship with Janice, and his son Nelson is in his early teens. Rabbit is working with his father at a printing press, and his mother is very ill. Janice has an affair and moves out. A young girl named Jill, with whom Rabbit begins a sexual relationship, moves in and becomes a sort of half-mother, half-sister to Nelson. Not long after, a radical black man named Skeeter, who has strong views on race and politics, also moves in. Nelson is exposed to some truly disgraceful behavior. Tragedy strikes again while Rabbit is engaged in his favorite pastime (selfish, casual sex), but this time Nelson is old enough to understand the event and its implications. The anger and blame that Nelson holds towards his father set the stage for Rabbit Rich.

Rabbit Rich is set another 10 years in the future. Rabbit has inherited his father-in-law's car dealership and is living with his mother-in-law as well as Janice. Thanks to his generous in-laws, he has risen from the working class to the comfortable middle class, and he spends a significant amount of time pondering his wealth. Nelson has gotten his girlfriend pregnant and, much like Rabbit in the first novel, feels compelled to settle down by quitting university, moving home, and working at the car dealership. However, the troubled relationship between Rabbit and Nelson, who is filled with rage and resentment, is not conducive to a productive working environment. A central focus of the third novel is the relationship between Rabbit and Nelson, which fascinated me. Rabbit neither likes nor respects Nelson, seeing him as weak, lazy, entitled, and insecure. In many ways, Nelson has become Rabbit, and the traits that Rabbit (or the reader) cannot tolerate are precisely those that Rabbit exhibits himself. For example, Rabbit is frustrated by Nelson's assumption that he should be immediately employed in an important position at the dealership without starting from the bottom and earning his way, which is exactly how Rabbit became wealthy (through his father-in-law). However, as a reader, I had sympathy for Nelson, which I did not have for Rabbit, presumably because we have witnessed the catastrophic events that Nelson endured as a child, and we can see that he is only a product of his environment. Rabbit is still preoccupied with sex and develops an obsession with his friend's younger wife. He is also consumed by the possibility that he has a daughter living nearby, born to a woman he had an affair with in Rabbit Run, which I think stems from his dissatisfaction with Nelson.

Rabbit is rarely likeable. I had very little pity for him. He is a man completely consumed by himself and fulfilling his own needs. He is careless of those who love and need him. He is chauvinistic and racist. He is a flawed human, and I suspect there are millions of Western men just like him. Updike brought Rabbit to life so convincingly. He captured an ordinary American: his life, family, friends, dreams, insecurities, and political and religious beliefs within the context of American society in the second half of the 20th century. Allusions to the political atmosphere, historical events, social movements, and music helped to perfectly capture this period of time, and there are passages of breathtaking prose. The characterization, themes, and plot were developed beautifully over the course of the three novels. It started a bit slowly and dragged a little in the middle of Rabbit Redux, so I have given it 4 stars instead of 5.

This book, which is the first of the three in Updike’s tetralogy, is said to be the most popular among the four. I wonder why. Indeed, Rabbit has matured a bit now that he is fifty-six. His wife Janice, who was so meek in the first book, has blossomed into a forty-three-year-old woman who knows her own mind and isn’t afraid to speak up to Harry. Their son Nelson returns after three years at Kent State to live with them. Instead of staying in school to get his degree, he insists on taking a sales position at the Toyota dealership where Rabbit has worked since his father-in-law gave him the job years ago. Rabbit, once a basketball hero, has allowed himself to become fat and sluggish. His fantasies about women are tempered by the thought that they probably wouldn’t find him very attractive.

Updike develops several storylines in the Angstrom saga. Rabbit continuously returns to the home where his former lover Ruth lives. He believes he has a daughter there, that Ruth’s eldest child is his. At the end of the book, he is told otherwise. We sense she might be lying, but Updike leaves it unconfirmed. Rabbit thinks the child’s photo looks more like him than Ruth’s husband. Maybe he just wants a daughter after the death of baby Rebecca years ago in the first novel.

In a second storyline, Nelson quarrels on and off with his father, who can’t stand being around his opinionated son who won’t finish college. When a woman named Melanie shows up and wants to stay with Nelson in his room at Janice’s mother’s house where they all live, things start to get interesting. Then when a second woman, a pregnant Pru, Nelson’s lover from Kent State, shows up, Nelson sticks around and even marries her. Melanie leaves to have an affair with one of Rabbit’s colleagues.

Updike, in his typical exploration of contemporary culture in 1979, takes three couples, including Harry and Janice, on a wild week in the Caribbean. They all swap partners one night. In a tender scene, Harry is paired with a woman who has been attracted to his overweight self for a while and has been diagnosed with lupus. Instead of being put off, he succumbs to her charms. The week is cut short when Janice’s mother calls to say Nelson has disappeared.

In the final twenty pages, Nelson calls from Kent State to say he’s going to finish his degree while living with Melanie who came to see him, although he promises to return to his wife Pru and the baby. Harry and Janice, now comfortably rich, buy their first home in an area some consider Nob Hill. Harry covets the small den as his own, where he might keep a few books. But Janice, not wanting to fill the large living room with furniture, takes over the den to watch TV.

In this book, at the two-thirds mark, as in the first two novels, we think a third child will die when a pregnant Pru accidentally falls down a flight of stairs. “Oh, no, Updike, not again,” we think, but it’s a trick. In a sort of “deus ex machina” move, Pru and the baby both turn out to be fine. In another nine years, Updike would publish “Rabbit at Rest,” with Harry Angstrom in his sixties, now living in Florida. Luckily, I don’t have to wait that long. However, reading will have to wait!

See review for Rabbit Novels Vol. 2

This volume of Rabbit Novels offers an engaging and captivating reading experience. The stories are filled with interesting characters and unique plotlines that will keep you hooked from start to finish. The author's writing style is vivid and descriptive, allowing you to easily imagine the scenes and emotions of the characters. Each story in the volume has its own charm and message, making it a diverse collection that caters to a wide range of readers. Whether you are a fan of adventure, romance, or mystery, there is something for everyone in Rabbit Novels Vol. 2. The illustrations throughout the book also add to the overall appeal, bringing the stories to life in a visually appealing way. Overall, this is a must-read for anyone who enjoys good literature and wants to be entertained by a collection of well-written and engaging stories.

Brilliant character descriptions make this book truly stand out.

Each character is brought to life with such vividness and detail that they seem to step right off the page.

It's fascinating to see how their personalities, motives, and relationships develop throughout the story.

As I have grown older, I have gained a deeper appreciation for this book.

When I first attempted to read it, I may not have fully understood or grasped the complexity of the characters and the themes.

However, now that I have more life experience and a better understanding of human nature, I can truly see the genius behind the author's characterizations.

It's a book that I will continue to cherish and revisit, as I know there will always be something new to discover and appreciate.

This is my first and only Updike to date.

While I think it was really well written, the story was a bit depressing for my taste. It's a testament to the author's skill that I went back and forth between liking Rabbit and hating him. He is such a selfish character.

Although he doesn't intend to hurt those around him, in his naivete, he manages to do just that to just about every other character in the book.

This is just a personal take. I know Updike was trying to make a statement in having such an ambiguous main character. His style of writing is really cool, too.

I found it to mirror the events in the story. For example, the crazy parts of the story were written with less punctuation and a frantic pace, which added to the overall atmosphere and made the reading experience more engaging.

Despite the depressing nature of the story, I still appreciate Updike's writing and the way he crafted the characters and the plot. It's a book that makes you think and reflect on human nature and relationships.

The Rabbit series is an outstanding literary achievement. Every decade or so, Updike released a new installment, with Rabbit aging in parallel with the author and the story always set in the present time, offering a vivid snapshot of the USA from around 1960 to 1990. This omnibus contains the first three novels.

Looking at all the novels as a whole, it's challenging to evaluate them as individual books. They are interconnected, and if you embark on this series, it's best to read all four books. Only then can you fully appreciate their depth. I understand the common view that the second installment, Rabbit Redux, is somewhat weaker than the others, with a more far-fetched plot that doesn't quite align with Rabbit's true nature and mainly serves as background for later developments that take center stage in Rabbit is Rich and Rabbit at Rest. However, for the sake of continuity, it's still worth reading Redux.

With each successive book, I found myself enjoying the series more. As Rabbit and Updike's experiences drew closer to my own, I felt a stronger connection to Rabbit and his circle. Although I can't prove it, my intuition tells me that Updike's characterizations became more refined, with the plot gradually taking a backseat while maintaining consistency in the portrayal of the characters. Each new beginning, ten years later, was fascinating as it casually revealed what had transpired in the interim. Despite all the changes, Rabbit retained his penchant for running, whether away, with the flow, aimlessly, or a combination of these. Life isn't always within our control. It just happens. And that's what the Rabbit books mean to me.

Rabbit, Run is the initial novel in the Rabbit series. It centers around a former high school basketball star, Harry, who has married his girlfriend Janice. Currently, Harry holds an ordinary job, but he has reached a point of exhaustion and frustration, which leads him to run away.

In the second installment, "Rabbit Redux," which occurs ten years after the first, Rabbit, who once fled, now finds himself firmly rooted. He has changed and grown, yet still faces numerous challenges and dilemmas.

Throughout both novels, Updike showcases his remarkable talent for creating vivid and memorable characters through his masterful use of prose. Although Harry may not fit the traditional mold of a hero, his story is so engaging that it becomes nearly impossible to stop reading once you start. These novels offer a deep and thought-provoking exploration of human nature, relationships, and the search for meaning in life.