John Updike

[DanielBenoit]

I was in the bookstore today and came across Updike's works. Having never read him I decided to introduce myself by reading some of the short stories from Pigeon Feathers, and my God was there some sublime stuff in there. Being a writer of the latter-half of the twentieth century I was suprised to find his works more close to that of modernists like Proust or Nabokov, as oppose to those of the Beat generation.

Anyway, his prose is just so superb and poetic that he may just stand close to the heights of Proust or Nabokov. Anyone read him?

[The Comedian]

I've read Rabbit Run and one other title that I can't remember off hand. I remember liking him, but not thinking he was that remarkable.

[Virgil]

I too have read Rabbit, Run (as a book club read here on lit net) and I posted most of my comments here: http://www.online-literature.com/for...ad.php?t=27955. I like Updike as a fine prose stylist, but I can't say I have found anything deep in that novel. It was good, but hardly earth shaterring.

[sixsmith]

I’ve read the first Rabbit novel, The Centaur and Bech (one of them). While I enjoyed those books well enough, I agree with the above posters. Nothing approaching Proust or Nabakov in terms of prose. It seems to me that Updike is something of a shadowed author: his career in many respects paralleled (both in a temporal and thematic sense) that of Philip Roth, who in my opinion (and on my limited reading of Updike) is the superior novelist. And it has been suggested to me that Richard Ford’s ‘Bascombe Trilogy’ surpasses Updike’s Rabbit books. I do enjoy Updike’s essays and criticism: I have a 1st of ‘Picked up Pieces’. I’m yet to read any of his poetry but I admire his work ethic. The man was incredibly prolific.

[DanielBenoit]

Maybe I was a bit over-enthusiastic. But I must say, his short story "Archangels" was some of the best latter-20th century stuff I've read in a long time.

[ScottyOhara]

I've read some of his stuff. My favorite work of his is "A&P"

[Delta40]

I read The City and I was amazed at how familiar I felt about this nameless place through Updike's relationship with the hospital. It was like he explored it as a living body. Very good writer.

[billl]

I enjoy the things I find by him on the New Yorker website now and then. I haven't read any of his fiction, just essays, criticism, etc. His prose is really good, and he is intelligent and insightful. However, I've heard enough stuff like sixsmith posted to steer me away from a commitment to any of the novels.

That being said, Updike happens to be the subject of one of the best books by one of my favorite writers: U&I, by Nicholson Baker. So it looks to me like there's respectable and talented people idolizing Updike out there, and maybe I ought to give a novel a shot someday.

[Dinkleberry2010]

billl, the other's interpretation matches your lines pretty well, unfortunately, and so the lines become ugly to me now, without any alternate interpretations. As it stands, it is ugly.

[billl]

how do you think it is ugly? which other interpretation?

[Babbalanja]

his prose is just so superb and poetic that he may just stand close to the heights of Proust or Nabokov.

Heh.

Updike is entertaining, but he's far too middle class to be anything more than a smart, complacent read. His stories in Pigeon Feathers and early Rabbit novels seemed very competent, but there was nothing really fascinating about his fiction.

Regards,

Istvan

[Virgil]

Heh.

Updike is entertaining, but he's far too middle class to be anything more than a smart, complacent read.

I agree with you that Updike is an average novelist, but may I ask what does being in the middle class have anything to do with either being a great novelist or not? I would imagine that most writers are in the middle class. So does one have to be in the lower class or the upper class to be a great writer?

[Dinkleberry2010]

billl, just think about my poem "The Son Of Dionysus." Just think about it, I'm sure you'll remember what you said about it.

[billl]

Jermac, I remembered that, of course. But I don't see anything analogous here.

[Dinkleberry2010]

I do.