John Updike Criticism
John Updike stands as a towering figure in American literature, renowned for his incisive exploration of human complexities and societal intricacies. His prolific output, including novels, short stories, poetry, and essays, delves into themes of love, lust, and existential challenges, painting vivid pictures of American life with a distinctive literary voice. Central to Updike's oeuvre is his engagement with marriage and infidelity, as seen in novels like Marry Me and The Witches of Eastwick. Critics such as Richard Gilman and Katha Pollitt have scrutinized his portrayals of women as clichéd, while works like Toward the End of Time have been praised by Margaret Atwood for their ambition despite occasional self-indulgence.
The Rabbit series, particularly Rabbit Is Rich, remains a cornerstone of his literary legacy, with critics like Thomas R. Edwards and Roger Sale commending its exploration of personal and societal transformations in late 20th-century America. The series' rich depiction of the protagonist's internal struggles and the socio-economic landscape reflects Updike's acute awareness of the moral complexities within his characters, as noted by Bernard A. Schopen.
Updike's stylistic choices have sparked debate, with critics like Joseph Epstein suggesting that his elaborate prose style sometimes eclipses content. Conversely, John F. Fleischauer praises his linguistic sophistication as a narrative strategy. His short stories and critical essays are frequently lauded, though some novels face criticism for structural issues, as highlighted by Daphne Merkin. Yet, novels like The Coup are noted for their successful narrative execution by critics such as Robert Towers and John Thompson.
Despite critiques of narrative coherence from figures such as Gene Lyons, Updike's work continues to be influential for its profound engagement with the human condition. His narratives about marriage and personal relationships receive nuanced interpretations from critics like Paul Theroux and William McPherson. Updike's exploration of the dichotomy between spiritual aspirations and corporeal realities, as observed by Victor Strandberg, and his portrayal of ideological conflicts, celebrated for their Nabokovian elegance by Alastair Reid, cement his place as a critical and popular success in literary scholarship.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Updike, John (Vol. 15)
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Rabbit Underground
(summary)
In the following essay, Yves Le Pellec examines John Updike's depiction of Harry Angstrom as an embodiment of the contradictions and ambiguities inherent in the American pursuit of individual freedom, exploring themes of nostalgia, societal disillusionment, and the erosion of pastoral ideals within the context of modern consumer culture and political upheaval.
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Reality, Imagination, and Art: The Significance of Updike's 'Best' Story
(summary)
In the following essay, George W. Hunt, S.J. analyzes John Updike's transitional period between 1964-66, highlighting how The Music School collection explores themes of artistic self-consciousness and the interplay between reality and imagination, drawing parallels between Updike's narrative techniques and Wallace Stevens' poetic meditations.
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Heroes of the Mundane
(summary)
In the following essay, Margaret Drabble praises John Updike's Problems and Other Stories for revealing the extraordinary within the mundane, highlighting his ability to balance grand themes with everyday life and arguing that his work exudes both a serious endeavor and moments of exhilaration, despite occasional lapses in narrative intrigue.
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Updike's People
(summary)
In the following essay, Romano examines how John Updike's "Problems and Other Stories" skillfully confronts themes of intimacy, divorce, and the complexities of American domestic life, highlighting Updike's ability to portray the intricate moral dilemmas of his characters with profound literary style and a focus on the human cost of these issues.
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'Problems'
(summary)
In the following essay, Anatole Broyard critiques John Updike's Problems and Other Stories, arguing that while not all stories are memorable, Updike's exploration of divorce as a poignant transition rather than a mere failure showcases his ability to capture complex emotions, despite occasional missteps in character depth.
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The Master of the Minor
(summary)
In the following essay, Abigail McCarthy argues that John Updike excels at portraying the subtle complexities of middle-class life and domestic conflict in his short stories, despite not engaging with major themes, achieving a masterly synthesis of form and style in works such as "Commercial."
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Stories Caged in Glass
(summary)
In the following essay, Doris Grumbach critiques John Updike's Problems and Other Stories as skillfully crafted yet emotionally distant, highlighting the author's ability to convey pain with restraint, which results in stories that feel contained and lack direct impact on the reader.
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Mastering the Short Story
(summary)
In the following essay, Daphne Merkin argues that John Updike's mastery of the short story form is evident through his intricate style and linguistic control, which often evokes nostalgia and tenderness in his portrayal of heterosexual relationships, while suggesting that he might benefit from exploring less refined, more candid narratives as exemplified in his story "Transaction."
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The Fragmented Life
(summary)
In the following essay, Martha Heimberg argues that John Updike’s Problems and Other Stories captures the social themes of the previous decade through a vivid portrayal of the sexual revolution’s impact on the American family, characterizing his stories as an exploration of marriage and the male psyche with a redemptive, cathartic power.
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Wearing Down
(summary)
In the following essay, David Evanier critiques John Updike's "Problems and Other Stories," highlighting the themes of separation, middle age, and the decay of life, while praising the transcendent narrative of stories like "Separating" and "Transaction," which reveal Updike's ability to illuminate the familiar with expressive language and stylistic grace.
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Rabbit Underground
(summary)
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Updike, John (Vol. 139)
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John Updike: Promises, Promises
(summary)
In the following essay, Epstein provides an overview of Updike's literary career, fiction, and critical assessment. According to Epstein, Updike's fiction is undermined by the author's preoccupation with prose style and the subject of sex.
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Wicked Witches of the North
(summary)
In the following review, Godwin praises Updike's prose and wit in The Witches of Eastwick, but faults the novel for what she perceives as a lack of intellectual depth.
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Bitches and Witches
(summary)
In the following review, Pollitt strongly criticizes Updike's portrayal of women and contemporary gender stereotypes in The Witches of Eastwick.
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Love Bytes
(summary)
In the following review, Enright offers a positive assessment of Roger's Version.
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Reading Updike
(summary)
In the following review, Abbey gives a laudatory appraisal of Roger's Version.
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The Witches of Updike
(summary)
In the following review, Gilman provides a negative evaluation of John Updike's fiction, arguing that it suffers from an inability to portray women in a nuanced way, often relying on clichéd, male-oriented perspectives.
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‘I Have Preened, I Have Lived’
(summary)
In the following review, Donoghue offers a positive assessment of Self-Consciousness. When a memoir by a writer as well known as John Updike appears, it inevitably arouses curiosity. But this is not a tell-all autobiography. It consists of six discontinuous chapters: total recall is evidently not proposed. Mr. Updike's method is Lytton Strachey's in “Eminent Victorians” to intuit a life by taking samples of it, making forays into its hinterland and asking the reader to assume that gaps between the specified items could readily be filled by more of much the same substance.
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Citizen Updike
(summary)
In the following review, Hardwick provides an overview of Updike's fiction and thematic preoccupations, and praises Self-Consciousness.
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John Updike's Prose Style: Definition at the Periphery of Meaning
(summary)
In the following essay, Fleischauer examines the language and syntax of Updike's prose, particularly aspects of irony, symbolism, and literary detachment evoked in his use of descriptive vocabulary and imagery.
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Rabbit Is Rich as a Naturalistic Novel
(summary)
In the following essay, Lasseter examines elements of naturalism, literary realism, and deterministic philosophy in Rabbit Is Rich. According to Lasseter, “The theme of entropy which dominates Rabbit Is Rich can be understood in terms of the naturalistic trap. This is a novel about limits, energy crises, hostages, and death.”
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Angst Up to the End
(summary)
In the following review, Searles offers a positive assessment of Rabbit at Rest.
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Fifty-five and Fading
(summary)
In the following review, Quinn offers praise for Rabbit at Rest.
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‘The Adulterous Society’: John Updike's Marry Me
(summary)
In the following essay, Leckie examines the social, literary, and philosophical significance of marriage and infidelity as presented in Marry Me.
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The Rabbit Tetralogy: From Solitude to Society to Solitude Again
(summary)
In the following essay, Wilson examines elements of social drama, historical consciousness, and tension between the desire for isolation and integration in Updike's Rabbit tetralogy.
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Magnanimous in a Big Way
(summary)
In the following review, Amis offers a positive assessment of Odd Jobs.
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Desire under the Palms
(summary)
In the following review, Kingsolver offers a positive evaluation of Brazil, but objects to racial stereotypes and elements of misogyny in the book.
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Off the Map
(summary)
In the following review, Bayley offers a tempered evaluation of Brazil. “The hazards of the wilderness,” writes Bayley, “do not suit the genius of suburban America.”
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All His Wives Are Mother
(summary)
In the following review, Parini offers praise for The Afterlife and Other Stories.
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Grand Illusion
(summary)
In the following review, Barnes offers a positive assessment of In the Beauty of the Lilies.
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God Goes to the Movies
(summary)
In the following review, Scott offers a positive evaluation of In the Beauty of the Lilies.
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Memento Mori—But First, Carpe Diem
(summary)
In the following review, Atwood offers praise for Toward the End of Time, noting that Updike's consistent excellence as a novelist is often undervalued.
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Deer John
(summary)
In the following review, LeClair offers a positive assessment of Toward the End of Time.
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Bullets of Milk
(summary)
In the following review, Boyers gives an unfavorable assessment of Toward the End of Time.
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Settling Old Scores
(summary)
In the following review, Shapiro offers a positive assessment of Bech at Bay.
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John Updike: Promises, Promises
(summary)
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Updike, John (Hoyer)
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They Also Serve Who Write Well
(summary)
In the following essay, Granville Hicks examines the broad scope of John Updike's writing in "Assorted Prose," highlighting his adeptness in diverse subjects and literary forms, while questioning whether his versatility may hinder the creation of a singularly "Great Book" and emphasizing the significant achievements already evident in his career.
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Faith, Morality, and the Novels of John Updike
(summary)
In the following essay, Bernard A. Schopen examines the pervasive moral ambiguity in John Updike's novels, highlighting the tension between external and subjective moralities and their impact on character passivity, while emphasizing that these dilemmas are set against the backdrop of faith and existential crises.
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The Fate of the Traditional Novel: William Faulkner, John Updike
(summary)
In the following essay, Miles Donald compares John Updike and William Faulkner, arguing that both authors grapple with the tension between structure and chaos in their novels, reflecting the broader twentieth-century struggle with meaning, and critiques Updike's exploration of intense experiences, such as sex and religion, in revealing societal and personal collapse.
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Rabbit Returns
(summary)
In the following essay, Roger Sale argues that in "Rabbit Is Rich," John Updike achieves a deeper and more sympathetic portrayal of Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, moving beyond the bitterness of "Rabbit Redux" and offering a richly imagined narrative that fulfills the promise of Updike's earlier works.
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Rabbit Ruts
(summary)
In the following essay, Eliot Fremont-Smith critiques John Updike's decision to continue the Rabbit series, focusing on "Rabbit Is Rich" as a commentary on themes of grace and personal growth, while acknowledging both the novel's strengths and its perceived shortcomings.
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Updike's Rabbit Trilogy
(summary)
In the following essay, Thomas R. Edwards examines Updike's "Rabbit" trilogy, highlighting its spiritual, political, and economic themes through the character of Harry Angstrom, who embodies a complex interplay of existential struggles, cultural reflections, and familial relationships, ultimately revealing Updike's insight into ordinary life.
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At Home with Obsolescence
(summary)
In the following essay, Daniel M. Murtaugh argues that John Updike's "Rabbit Is Rich" combines humor and irony to depict middle age, effectively bridging a cultural divide between Updike and his character, Harry Angstrom, through an imaginative exploration of economic and moral shifts in America.
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The Way We Are
(summary)
In the following essay, Gene Lyons argues that "Rabbit is Rich" represents John Updike's maturity as a writer, showcasing a compassionate and nuanced portrayal of American life that overcomes the flaws of its predecessor, "Rabbit Redux," by shedding dishonest symbolic approaches and condescension towards the working class.
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Updike
(summary)
In the following essay, V. S. Pritchett argues that John Updike's "Rabbit Is Rich" masterfully balances chronicling provincial American life with a poetic exploration of domestic objects and personal relationships, portraying Rabbit as a complex character caught between personal ambition and familial dynamics, while highlighting the strength of women and the enduring nature of their influence.
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Easy Come, Easy Go
(summary)
In the following essay, Alfred Kazin argues that John Updike's Rabbit Is Rich is a brilliant portrayal of America's socio-economic anxieties in the late 1970s, highlighting themes of domestic observation, societal decay, and the loss of national confidence, akin to the social critiques found in Sinclair Lewis's Babbitt.
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Donald J. Greiner
(summary)
In the following essay, Donald J. Greiner discusses the often-overlooked poetry of John Updike, emphasizing its playful wit, exploration of language, and philosophical themes, while also noting its connections to his prose and the deeper reflections on human experience and faith that permeate his early poetic work.
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'Rabbit Knows He Is a Victim but He Fights On
(summary)
In the following essay, Russell Davies argues that in Rabbit Is Rich, John Updike portrays Harry Angstrom as a character who has come to terms with chaos, demonstrating an evolution from the confrontational turmoil seen in earlier novels to a more subtle, pervasive understanding of life's challenges.
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Still Running
(summary)
In the following essay, Judy Cooke critiques Rabbit is Rich by John Updike as a narrative rich in energy and wit, yet ultimately depressing due to its lack of anger towards a self-destructive society, characterized by its abundance of sex and pain, but devoid of passion and dignity.
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Nobody Is God
(summary)
In the following essay, Robert Taubman critiques John Updike's "Rabbit is Rich," emphasizing its insightful portrayal of American life in the 1980s, while arguing that Rabbit Angstrom's character serves as a symbol of the average man, embodying archetypal themes but lacking depth as a compelling protagonist.
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They Also Serve Who Write Well
(summary)
- Updike, John (Vol. 2)
- Updike, John (Vol. 1)
- Updike, John (Vol. 3)
- Updike, John (Vol. 5)
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Updike, John (Vol. 13)
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John Updike and the Changing of the Gods
(summary)
In the following essay, Victor Strandberg examines John Updike's exploration of existential dread and belief, contending that Updike's works are a profound engagement with themes of mortality, religious skepticism, and the interplay between Eros and Agape as potential responses to the human condition.
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Updike in Africa
(summary)
In the following essay, Daphne Merkin argues that while John Updike excels in short stories and criticism, his attempts at longer novels often struggle due to a mismatch between his natural subjects and his aspirational themes, although works like The Coup demonstrate his potential for aligning intention with execution.
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Updike in Africa
(summary)
In the following essay, Robert Towers examines John Updike's novel "The Coup," highlighting its comedic exploration of racial and cultural incongruities, the compelling character of Col. Hakim Félix Ellelloû, and Updike's stylistic exuberance, while critiquing the novel's structural and narrative shortcomings and its rich, often witty prose reminiscent of Nabokov.
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Updike le Noir
(summary)
In the following essay, John Thompson praises John Updike's novel The Coup for its audacious creation of the fictional African nation of Kush, highlighting Updike's masterful use of language and character development, particularly through the voice of the novel's narrator, Colonel Hakim Félix Ellelloû, who embodies both the farcical and the violent aspects of his society.
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Updike Country
(summary)
In the following essay, Alastair Reid examines John Updike's novel "The Coup," highlighting its linguistic prowess in portraying cultural and ideological conflicts through the memoirs of Colonel Hakim Félix Ellelloû, and argues that Updike's prose, rich with Nabokovian elegance, transforms the story into a poetic and multifaceted narrative.
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Joyce Carol Oates
(summary)
In the following essay, the critic contends that John Updike's novel "The Coup" is an experimental narrative characterized by its dark humor, intricate prose, and cynical worldview, effectively blending Nabokovian and Márquezian influences to critique modern societal values and the sterility of contemporary life through the unique style and artful storytelling.
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Cultural Deformations
(summary)
In the following essay, Gene Lyons critiques John Updike's novel The Coup, arguing that despite Updike's renowned expository skills, the novel is marred by convoluted plot and character inconsistencies, ultimately reflecting Updike's inability to craft a coherent narrative without resorting to symbolic absurdities.
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William McPherson
(summary)
In the following essay, William McPherson evaluates John Updike's "Too Far to Go" as a collection of stories that reflect the decline of a marriage amidst themes of innocence and decadence, suggesting that while the work is well-crafted, it lacks a heightened experience and risks repeating similar narratives unless Updike ventures into new thematic territory.
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A Marriage of Mixed Blessings
(summary)
In the following essay, Paul Theroux critiques John Updike's portrayal of marriage in his fiction as both superficially optimistic and lacking the female perspective, while recognizing Updike's unique ability to present marriage and divorce with tenderness and subtlety, rather than as overwrought or nightmarish.
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John Updike and the Changing of the Gods
(summary)
- Further Reading