Comments on: John Updike (1932-2009) Explains What His Books Are ‘About’ http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2008/05/23/what-are-john-updike%e2%80%99s-books-%e2%80%98about%e2%80%99-quote-of-the-day-john-updike/ Janice Harayda Reviews Fiction, Nonfiction and Poetry for Adults and Children Mon, 10 Jun 2013 02:28:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2008/05/23/what-are-john-updike%e2%80%99s-books-%e2%80%98about%e2%80%99-quote-of-the-day-john-updike/#comment-7190 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:43:02 +0000 http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/?p=976#comment-7190 Love that quote from Updike, which I hadn’t heard. Thanks so much for sharing it with visitors to this site.
Jan

]]> By: coffee http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2008/05/23/what-are-john-updike%e2%80%99s-books-%e2%80%98about%e2%80%99-quote-of-the-day-john-updike/#comment-7189 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 07:04:41 +0000 http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/?p=976#comment-7189 John Updike’s passing is sad, but he left a ton of awesome work. “Immortality is nontransferrable” he said appropriately.

]]> By: 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2008/05/23/what-are-john-updike%e2%80%99s-books-%e2%80%98about%e2%80%99-quote-of-the-day-john-updike/#comment-6212 Fri, 23 May 2008 15:57:52 +0000 http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/?p=976#comment-6212 I agree that the “Rabbit” books aren’t page-turners. But I read Updike for the same reason you do — he sees “below the surface.” And he may excel at more genres than any of the greatest living American writers: fiction, poetry, criticism.

I especially love his early light verse and hope to review some of it on this site. It really helped to get me excited about poetry when I was younger.

]]> By: oh http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2008/05/23/what-are-john-updike%e2%80%99s-books-%e2%80%98about%e2%80%99-quote-of-the-day-john-updike/#comment-6211 Fri, 23 May 2008 14:54:43 +0000 http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/?p=976#comment-6211 I’ve read the “Rabbit” books. Patiently. Despite the apparent lack of point. But I sensed it. Updike does suburbs as well as anyone.

It’s difficult to hear in the suburbs – there is a lot of likeness and plainness, like a white noise. But that’s only the surface. IT is, like everywhere, stocked with individuals.

Updike will remain a favorite though I have never approached one of his books in anticipation of a page-turner nor in anticipation of a great moral lesson.

I’ve read him because he is so one of us. He hears below the surface and I suspect if you stuck him in the midst of a great city or a flat wild plain, he’d hear the human depths of that place, too, not the stereotypical pain/angst/struggling/winning but the regular incessant wondering heartbeat of it.

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