Rating: 
Summary: A Few Great Gems
Review: This set of short stories is mostly about aging men pining for lost loves. The writing is beautiful, as expected in an Updike book. The recurring theme gets a little tiresome, though, with a few interesting exceptions. "Scenes from the Fifties" has a smile-inducing punch line. "Licks of Love in the Heart of the Cold War's" main character is an American banjo player, acting as "cultural ambassador" in USSR.The highlight, though, as other reviewers have mentioned, is Rabbit Remembered. Through the Rabbit novels Harry's son, Nelson, held little interest for me, despite the closeness of our ages. But now he's grown up, cleaned up, filling the main-character role quite well. His half-sister arrives on the doorstep of his mother and step-father's house where he lives, sparking his further growth and cleansing. This is a lovely, necessary read for fans of the Rabbit series.
Rating: 
Summary: Rabbit is Back
Review: Tom Wolfe recently said of John Updike that he knew that there were 275 million people living in the United States, and that he didn't believe there was a one of them who was looking forward to a new John Updike novel. To this I would say he is only about half right. I would agree that news of the first half of this book, the short story collection, left me mostly unmoved. But I can guarantee you that I, along with dozens of other people I'm sure, was delighted to see yet another installment in the Rabbit series, and scooped it up eagerly. It doesn't disappoint. Of course, everybody familiar with the series knows that Rabbit died a long time ago, but contained in here are all of the other familiar faces: Janice, now married to Ronnie Harrison; Nelson, separated; Pru; Billy Fosnacht; and Annabelle Byer, the mover and shaker of the plot this time around. Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom's presence, though, looms over all, figuratively, and eventually as we shall see, literally. Yes, as the lion is noted for his ferocity, the elephant for his size, and the giraffe for his height, Rabbit is known for, well, what rabbits are known for. I don't believe I've ever seen this pointed out in any reviews of these books that I have read, and am at a loss to explain why. (I apologize if I have missed something.) Even Mr. Updike seems to be curious about this, throwing us a not so subtle hint in this one. Think about it: in the first book he cheats on Janice, and indirectly causes the death of his daughter. In the second book, he is separated from Janice, but cheats on his girlfriend, and while gone she is killed in a fire. In the third one, he is prevented from consumating his lust (by Nelson, no less, hilariously), and nobody dies. But in the fourth one, after cheating on Janice yet again, and with Nelson's wife this time, he indirectly causes his own death. Yes, boys and girls, the age old theme: sex equals death. Or in this case, illicit sex equals death, sooner or later. Or maybe, everything eventually equals death. But I am being simplistic. These books encompass way more than this; in fact, one could argue that these books encompass everything that is human about all of us. Yes, Rabbit's life can be read as a tawdry, melodramatic, almost tragic soap-opera, but to do so would be missing the point. These books are also slyly, wickedly funny. How ridiculous, we think. Look at these bumpkins, struggling to find happiness through self-gratification. But how tragic. And how sad. Because we are contained in here too. It is Updike's magnificent intelligence which allows us to see the pathos and humor in all of it. Is Rabbit Everyman? No, he is not every man. But he is also not uncommon either. We all know people like him. The stumbling good guy, buffeted around by life, taking what comes his way without much thought or introspection or faith. He doesn't really love anybody and is not really sure how to. In Mr. Updike's hands, though, this thoroughly mundane person is fascinating, and probably the most fully-realized character in American literature. We have been following him, and the America he lives in, for four decades now. There is no doubt in my mind that several hundred years from now people will be studying these novels in order to get a complete and thorough picture of American culture in the latter half of the twentieth century. Is it a pretty picture? No, not really. Is it accurate? Yes, to the degree that it captures the life of one individual--no more, no less--it is. At the end, Harry is in Florida, lost, feeling like he has been swimming underwater. His life has been a void. This book, Rabbit Remembered, allows us to see his accomplishments, through those he left behind, and ends with the characteristic brilliance typical of the entire series. It is New Years Eve, the end of the century, the end of the millenium. Four well-dressed, clumsy, drug-addicted, divorced, molested, depressed, middle-aged youths--Nelson, Pru, Annabelle, and Billy--are going out for the evening. Janice looks at them, her children--Harry's children--and tears come to her eyes. She is moved, but incapable of understanding why. It is Harry. He is the father of illegitimate Annabelle and legitimate Nelson, the one-time lover of Pru, his daughter-in-law, and the one-time lover of Billy's mother. This is his connection to them, and what, inexplicably, has moved Janice. These children are his legacy. The legacy of the Rabbit.
Rating:
Summary: Fine read
Review: Updike writes transcendent prose, this is why I always defer to his books. This short story collection also includes a gift, the epilogue to the epic Rabbit series, which was a formative part of my modern reading education in the 80s. As Augustus commanded Rome, so Updike commands English language and expression; his metaphor and tone transport. All the stories center on love and take place in the Northeast. They are authentic and heartfelt, if at times a little similar in downbeat tone.
For this version of my review, I will to concentrate on "Rabbit Remembered", which touches on the depth of "Brother Grasshopper" from a previous short story collection, I forget which. "Rabbit Remembered" focuses on Nelson, Janice, and Nelson's new sister, adult, Anabelle. Anabelle is Harry's illegitimate daughter from Ruth. She's more than that: Harry enters everyone's mind in both grim and charitable recollections through Anabelle, who is less destructive, endearing almost. I'm glad for this conclusion because I don't remember "Rabbit at Rest" that clearly, but this somehow brings the definitive American series full closure.
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