Rating: 
Summary: My Rabbit Fix Arrives
Review: Ahh, the Rabbit series. Could it be that this is truly the end? Oh well, at least it went out with a bang. Wow, what a novella. I felt myself glued to the page as I followed the exploits of the characters I've grown to know and love. As usual, the Angstroms (and friends) face their usual dose of fights and hardships, losses and bittersweet victories with the same stolidness that has characterized them since day one. I must say, though, I was a bit surprised to see a Rabbit novel with an actual happy ending (however disfunctional that ending may be). Now there was a surprise!The downside of Licks of Love are the short stories, which are uneven at best. There are a few exceptions, such as "The Cats," a touching and moving story about a man moving on after the death of his mother. But over all, they are not up to Updike standards. Still, Updike standards are high indeed, and the stories are at least readable. So, while this may be the end of a brilliant series of true literary genius, I am relieved to say that at least it ended with a bang, not a whimper.
Rating:
Summary: Lotsa Product ? Definitely Has Its Moments
Review: Let's face it - most folks will come to this book to get their Rabbit fix, so let's deal with that story first. We readers spent a lot of time in the four Rabbit books being exasperated, if not saddened, by Nelson, Rabbit's unfortunate, screwed-up son. Well, here, finally, Nelson comes into his own. He has hit his stride. We readers become - dare I say it? - downright proud of him. And how is Rabbit remembered? You need only observe his children, in whom he lives on. (Check out the last word and re-read the question it answers. Hmmm...) Also, you don't need to read the first four Rabbit books to enjoy or understand this story; it's satisfying on its own - cinema verite in book form. The other stories are not terribly memorable or compelling. Nevertheless they fit just like a comfortable old pair of shoes. One wonders if they might not be simply necessary, a chance for Updike to work through the late-arriving gremlins of his own memory. If you want to read only one or two of these stories, I'd recommend "Natural Color" very highly for its great insights and the title track, "Licks of Love in the Heart of the Cold War," as a better-than-average plot. Mr. Bech also makes an appearance ("His Oeuvre"), and the excerpts from his (Bech's) writings are as diverting to read as ever, as is the sad conclusion he makes at the end of the story.
Rating:
Summary: Lotsa Product ¿ Definitely Has Its Moments
Review: Let's face it - most folks will come to this book to get their Rabbit fix, so let's deal with that story first. We readers spent a lot of time in the four Rabbit books being exasperated, if not saddened, by Nelson, Rabbit's unfortunate, screwed-up son. Well, here, finally, Nelson comes into his own. He has hit his stride. We readers become - dare I say it? - downright proud of him. And how is Rabbit remembered? You need only observe his children, in whom he lives on. (Check out the last word and re-read the question it answers. Hmmm...) Also, you don't need to read the first four Rabbit books to enjoy or understand this story; it's satisfying on its own - cinema verite in book form. The other stories are not terribly memorable or compelling. Nevertheless they fit just like a comfortable old pair of shoes. One wonders if they might not be simply necessary, a chance for Updike to work through the late-arriving gremlins of his own memory. If you want to read only one or two of these stories, I'd recommend "Natural Color" very highly for its great insights and the title track, "Licks of Love in the Heart of the Cold War," as a better-than-average plot. Mr. Bech also makes an appearance ("His Oeuvre"), and the excerpts from his (Bech's) writings are as diverting to read as ever, as is the sad conclusion he makes at the end of the story.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best; buy it anyway.
Review: Read the novella ("Rabbit Remembered") first; it's worth the price of the book all by itself. A very interesting fictional experiment -- a piece about the lingering influence of a man ten years dead on his family and acquaintances. I have read all the earlier Rabbit Angstrom novels (several times) and enjoyed this thoroughly; I'm not sure how much you will like it if you are not familiar with the earlier works. As to the other stories...well, bad Updike is better than most other authors' best efforts. These are not his best and are disappointing after his most recent short story collection (The Afterlife and Other Stories). If you're new to Updike don't start here -- but if you are already a fan there is much to enjoy. As usual the prose is flawless and delightful even though some of the characters are underdone and some of the stories structurally flawed -- a rarity in Updike's work.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best; buy it anyway.
Review: Read the novella ("Rabbit Remembered") first; it's worth the price of the book all by itself. A very interesting fictional experiment -- a piece about the lingering influence of a man ten years dead on his family and acquaintances. I have read all the earlier Rabbit Angstrom novels (several times) and enjoyed this thoroughly; I'm not sure how much you will like it if you are not familiar with the earlier works. As to the other stories...well, bad Updike is better than most other authors' best efforts. These are not his best and are disappointing after his most recent short story collection (The Afterlife and Other Stories). If you're new to Updike don't start here -- but if you are already a fan there is much to enjoy. As usual the prose is flawless and delightful even though some of the characters are underdone and some of the stories structurally flawed -- a rarity in Updike's work.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Shortly after I read the four Rabbitt novels - recently; yeah, I'm a bit behind the times - I bought this to read the "sequel". While many of the stories in this book are excellent, the Rabbitt sequel should never have been published. It left a bad taste in the back of my mind, after having devoured all four "real" Rabbitt novels in just a few weeks. This sequel is trite, useless, and does not help the legacy of that poignant character. If you enjoyed the Rabbitt novels, don't feel that you need to read this.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Shortly after I read the four Rabbitt novels - recently; yeah, I'm a bit behind the times - I bought this to read the "sequel". While many of the stories in this book are excellent, the Rabbitt sequel should never have been published. It left a bad taste in the back of my mind, after having devoured all four "real" Rabbitt novels in just a few weeks. This sequel is trite, useless, and does not help the legacy of that poignant character. If you enjoyed the Rabbitt novels, don't feel that you need to read this.
Rating:
Summary: Let us now praise John Updike
Review: The finest writer of post WWII fiction is still at it. With "Licks of Love," "More Matter," and "Gertrude and Claudius" all published very recently--John Updike, hopefully, has secured his Nobel Prize. Let us hope he gets while he is still around.
Rating: 
Summary: Proof that Updike is WAAAAAAY Overrated
Review: This collection features 12 short stories and a novella which is an epilogue to the "Rabbit" saga. First, the 12 stories range greatly in quality. Two of them are very good: "The Cats" and "My Father on the Verge of Disgrace" are quite fine, and well worth your while if you happen to be in a bookstore where you can sit down with a copy and read them ;> The other 10 are almost worthless, at times the obsession Updike has with the theme of adultery made me think I was reading a bad parody. The Bech story (and I enjoyed the Bech nooks) is notable only for its mediocrity. As for the much anticipated "Rabbit" epilogue, I was very disappointed. The novella follows the actions of Harry Angstrom's son Nelson (Rabbit of course died in the last book). What surprised me about this novella was its homophobia. It has nothing to do with the plot, is unbelievable given the politics and age of the characters, and added nothing to the book. After closing the book, I wondered why I had picked it up in the first place. Updike is considered a fine writer by many, and one can see a few glimmer of this in a few pages, but this collection should never have been released.
Rating: 
Summary: Rabbit is back
Review: This collection is a well-written short story anthology centering on the foibles of loving someone more than one love oneself. In addition to the dozen tales, the legendary John Updike includes a novella about the Rabbit family. That tale, ?Rabbit Remembered? is worth the ?steep? price of admission by itself. The short stories are enjoyable, but Mr. Updike has plowed no new ground. Perhaps it is this reviewer at fault as a rabid Rabbit fan, but the fantastic novella clearly owns the book. Fans of the previous four books will want to read this posthumous story while new readers will scramble for the four novels that have made Mr. Updike a well deserved award winning author. Without giving away the plot, the deceased Rabbit?s illegitimate daughter meets the rest of the family in a humorous but, often melancholy way. This clearly enables the tying up of the previous stories into a fabulous complete package worth reading. Harriet Klausner
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