Skip to main content

Rabbit, Run (Rabbit Angstrom #1) by John Updike.

"Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom,, once a star basketball player in high school, gets to briefly relive his glory days when he joins a game after work. It's the realization that he's no longer the best, that nobody even knows who he is, that drives Rabbit to run. Leave his job, his wife, his child, leave it all behind and try to start something new. Rabbit is a hateful MC but Updikes beautiful prose saves the book." 

3 Stars

Pros: Updike does have an amazing way with words and character. Though his dialogue left something to be desired, it could also be a generational thing. And though Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is one of the most abhorrently selfish MCs I've ever come across, Updike also has me intrigued. That's the real trick and he's succeeded. 

Cons: Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is an absolute moron. His selfishness is literally, life threatening and his general lack of empathy is just...shocking. There have been protagonists I've not liked but Rabbit might be up there on top. At the same time though, Updike left it in such a way that...I may have to subject myself to more Rabbit Angstrom in order to find out what happens. 

Full Review: 

Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is a 26 year old, married man with a two year old son, another baby on the way and his nervous wife, Janice. He doesn't realize how dead inside he is until one afternoon while walking home from work he sees kids playing basketball. He joins them and is again in his prime. He's back in high school where he set and then broke his own record. He is a star and everyone knows his name. 

Or at least, he was. 

Horrified at the meaningless nothingness of his own existence, Rabbit stumbles home, sparing a few snide words with Janice, who's been drinking since noon. It's not until his wife is dutifully is cooking dinner and simply asks him to pick her up a pack of cigarettes that he realizes what he has to do.

He runs. 

He gets in his car and he drives all the way to West Virginia. But then guilt turns him back home. Instead of going back to his wife, he instead seeks advice in the company of his old Basketball coach Mr. Tothero. Tothero insists on taking Rabbit to dinner where he introduces him to his lady friend, Margaret, and her girlfriend, Ruth. All it takes is one look at Ruth and Rabbit suddenly feels like he doesn't have to run anymore. 

I'm sure you can guess where it goes from there. 

Though there were some truly gut wrenching parts in this book, since no one should have to go through what the Angstroms did, Rabbit Angstrom himself is such an arrogant, blind idiot that I spent most of the book wanting to slap him in the face. And even though I don't want to be, I'm honestly curious as to where Updike can go with this and so, after I finish my easier read, I may be opening Rabbit Redux. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Spark of White Fire (The Celestial Trilogy #1) by Sangu Mandanna

"Similar to "Game of Thrones" only in space, there was a lot going on with a lot of different people and they were all important and connected but my tired, overworked brain had trouble keeping up. " 2 Stars  Pros:  I liked Max as a character, I'm all for the tall, dark, mysterious supposed bad boy with a heart of gold cliche, but the kissing cousins thing just made it weird.   Cons:  It felt like Game of Thrones, only in space, so there was a bit of a kissing cousins vibe going and I wasn't feeling it/The book tried to have these big, shocking moments I was just non-plussed, unaffected./The presence of the Gods irked me as they did in The Illiad, it's all terribly convenient to have divine intervention for your MCs. I feel like it's the cheapest fake-out cheat of all time 👍🤣 Full Review:    My co-worker, who has recommended some amazing reads such as, A Man Called Ove ,   The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse,  and I'll Give You The Sun...
Post a Comment
Read more

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

"The classic tale of Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up and his adventures with his Lost Boys and the Darling Children, Wendy, John and Michael. At times fun and whimsical and other times surprisingly dark, it was an interesting read as an adult." 3 Stars  Pros:   There is something appealing about flying away to a mysterious island where you can play all day and never have to grow up. The thrall of Neverland is a constant for this dreamer.  Cons: Peter Pan is truly the most arrogant little brat and very much in need of a mother/I was surprised at the bloodshed because I always thought this was a children's book, it was rather dark at times.  Full Review Mr. and Mrs. Darling are the proud yet rather dismissive and negligent parents of three children. Wendy, John and Michael. All three have flights of fancy and dream of an island, with mermaids and pirates. Mrs. Darling dismisses these as the whimsy of childhood but she herself remembers when she too dreamt of...
Post a Comment
Read more

Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey

" Science Fiction at its most epically, horrific best. Mankind has colonized the galaxy and is reaching for the stars but something dark and fathomless waits in the recesses of space, biding its time and when it strikes, life itself will change." 5 Stars Pros:  Deep and likable characters for all their flaws and a story that grabs you from the very beginning and never lets go.  Cons:  Some parts were a little technical, like how many G's a ship was flying under and the spin of planets, but it didn't take away from the story too much.  Full Review:  Julette Andromeda Mao. The heiress to a lunar corporate dynasty who's decided to turn her back on her life of luxury and venture out into the solar system to find work and earn her keep.   Miller. A cynical, downtrodden but intelligent and resourceful cop who works out of the Ceres Station on the Belt.  Holden, the commanding officer of a water hauler that ships ice from the rings of Saturn to stations ...
Post a Comment
Read more