Last night I couldn't sleep for awhile and read Updike's Rabbit, Run.
Not a good idea. I thought this was a really depressing book. Boy, is Rabbit ever an asshat.
So, I'll ask my well-read readers:
Does Rabbit suck less in the subsequent books? Because I'm curious about how things turn out for him, but I really don't want to read it if so.
CC
3 comments:
Maybe he runs off and becomes a ninja and spends the rest of the series fighting Commies..
But if they're just about him being more of a loser, I think you're right to pass.
Rabbit does not age well. He remains self-centered and becomes cranky. He casually abuses just about everyone in his life but cannot understand his growing isolation. Rabbit is a central character, but not a hero. He is not even an anti-hero, which implies in most literature a conscious rebellion against something. Rabbit is too clueless for that. He just bumbles through life. Most of us do. It is painful to read sometimes, but Updike is not into producing comfort food. Not everyone's cup of tea, but a very important 20th Century voice.
I'm kind of sad these days already. Maybe I will read them later when I am better prepared to take such things.
Thank you for filling me in.
CC
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