Itemize Of Books Rabbit Omnibus: Rabbit Run / Rabbit Redux / Rabbit Is Rich (Rabbit Angstrom #1-3)
| Title | : | Rabbit Omnibus: Rabbit Run / Rabbit Redux / Rabbit Is Rich (Rabbit Angstrom #1-3) |
| Author | : | John Updike |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 700 pages |
| Published | : | November 19th 2001 by Penguin Books Ltd (first published January 1st 1981) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Literature. Classics. American. Literary Fiction. Novels. Contemporary |
John Updike
Paperback | Pages: 700 pages Rating: 3.98 | 1094 Users | 75 Reviews
Relation Concering Books Rabbit Omnibus: Rabbit Run / Rabbit Redux / Rabbit Is Rich (Rabbit Angstrom #1-3)
A collection of the first three of Updike's Rabbit novels, this is an incredible depiction of American life in the latter half of the 20th century. Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom is a very normal middle class man, not particularly likeable, heroic or awful, living in the small Pennsylvania suburb Mt Judge, set at the foot of Mt Judge mountain close to the large coal industry town of Brewer. He exhibits much of the same mix of good and bad actions as any of us, cowardice in the face of adversity, bigotry and closed mindedness and through these books we see him grow from early adulthood just coming down from stardom as local basketball hero through to middle aged car salesman. We see social mores, material culture, politics, music and gender roles change through the very personal lens of the extremely local. Updike's use of extended metaphor, his attention to period detail and the quality of his writing makes this a really rewarding long read. In the first book Rabbit Run, we are in the late 1950s, Rabbit has a young family, wife, son and small flat. Rabbit comes home to find his pregnant wife Janice drinking and watching television, and simply runs. He gets as far as Virginia before turning for home, but doesn't go back to his house. Instead he stays with local minister Eccles before taking up with Ruth, a semi-prostitute, leaving her just as he gets the news that Janice is giving birth to their daughter Becky. But he runs again and tragedy ensues. As the second book, Rabbit Redux, opens we have moved forward to 1969 and Rabbit is working with his father at the printing works. Janice leaves Rabbit for car salesman Charlie Stavros leaving him to care for their son Nelson. Rabbit takes in Jill, a young small town girl searching for herself, and politically motivated Skeeter. Between them they introduce Rabbit to counterculture, drugs and civil right. Tragedy strikes again leaving a schism between Rabbit and Nelson, and at the end of the book Janice returns. Rabbit is Rich opens in 1979, Rabbit is now head salesman at Janice's father's Toyota dealership, working with Charlie Stavros but still living in Janice's mother's house. Nelson is at college but returns without finishing his course, trailing with him first Melanie and then his pregnant girlfriend Theresa, usually known as Pru. Nelson wants what his father got, an opening at the dealership, and father and son come into innumerable conflicts caused simply by misunderstandings and personality clashes. Rabbit and Janice are still together and finally move into a house of their own as the book closes.
Define Books As Rabbit Omnibus: Rabbit Run / Rabbit Redux / Rabbit Is Rich (Rabbit Angstrom #1-3)
| Original Title: | Rabbit Novels Vol. 1 |
| ISBN: | 014015809X (ISBN13: 9780140158090) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Rabbit Angstrom #1-3 |
Rating Of Books Rabbit Omnibus: Rabbit Run / Rabbit Redux / Rabbit Is Rich (Rabbit Angstrom #1-3)
Ratings: 3.98 From 1094 Users | 75 ReviewsCritique Of Books Rabbit Omnibus: Rabbit Run / Rabbit Redux / Rabbit Is Rich (Rabbit Angstrom #1-3)
This was a tough book to rate. I started to read Updike shortly following his death after I read a few of his poems in the New Yorker. I was immediately a fan and could not wait to read Rabbit, Run and Rabbit, Redux.He is such a fabulous writer, he loves words and uses them better than most.The Rabbit books take place in Suburban Americana in the late fifties/ early sixties.Both are great reads and are fun "slices of life" from that time, however, there was some unexpected tragedies that takeA collection of the first three of Updike's Rabbit novels, this is an incredible depiction of American life in the latter half of the 20th century. Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom is a very normal middle class man, not particularly likeable, heroic or awful, living in the small Pennsylvania suburb Mt Judge, set at the foot of Mt Judge mountain close to the large coal industry town of Brewer. He exhibits much of the same mix of good and bad actions as any of us, cowardice in the face of adversity,
Rabbit is not always a likeable character, but that may be his best quality. We are not always nice to know; Harry reminds me of that. These novels challenge, make me uncomfortable, make me think and reflect. Read them, but be careful. They are dangerous.
So far I have only read the first of the two novels contained in this book, and I'm afraid I'm not terribly inclined to read the rest. And I purchased the set, so I have another two-novel compendium to go as well.I hated the story for at least the first half, though it's difficult to pinpoint why. The writing is almost poetic, not just in its descriptions but in every line, so the going was certainly slow. I can't imagine how he wrote four of these books - either it took forever or he has an
I enjoyed both of the two books in this Volume so much that I finished them on a 4 day trip to South Carolina. Updike just knows how to bring things into such clear and exact focus. He describes. My favorites of the 'Rabbit' series are "Rabbit Run" and "Rabbit is Rich". He just keeps developing the characters, even though they never change themselves. And they all seem so tragically resigned to a course of action so frighteningly familiar to anyone from the suburbs. I think he captures each
The first two entries in the four-novel life of Rabbit Angstrom, the horny, hedonistic hero whose topsy-turvy life marks America's social metamorphosis from the button-down 50's to the unleashed 60's. "Rabbit Run," a tiny domestic melodrama written with Joycean panache, nicely blurs the battle lines between WASP and modern man. "Rabbit Redux," published 11 years on, furthers the practice but semi-reduces Rabbit to a symbol, a "good hearted imperialist racist" who plays point-counterpoint with a
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. A testament to the author's skill, I went back and forth between liking Rabbit and hating him. He is such a selfish character, and while 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
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