Where do I start with Updike?

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Ehh, what's Updike?

>>10003790
Both kind of to be completely honest. As in, a master of prose, and kind of that type of stale New Yorker-tier. But so beautiful that it actually becomes meaningful in a sort of way.

>>10003813
>>10003790
Also I suggest you start with

Rabbit, Run, then go thru the rest of the tetralogy in order with ----> Rabbit Redux ----> Rabbit is Rich -----> Rabbit at Rest (actually a kinda touching and good book by his or any other 20th century author's standards)

The Centaur also has some of the best prose, if not the best, he's ever written (and that's saying something for Updike), although the beginning 20 pages or so of it is atrociously written for whatever reason.

Roger's Version may be his best work period. It actually is kind of serious and tackles existential questions (while of course having the obligatory steamy John-Updike-sex-and-adultery scenes) and is kind of memorable, as opposed to his other works which have moments of seriousness and grandeur but are generally more fluffy. If nothing else, his prose is out-of-this-world (when he hits his stride and isn't just being sort of clunky, which fortunately doesn't happen too often), so happy reading, whatever you read by him.

>>10003805
Lel

Age

>>10003790
He is truly a magician with language, but his fiction has never really grabbed me.

Tbqh, I've gotten more pleasure from reading his critical essays on various subjects -- where again, his mastery of language is very evident.

>>10003790

It's boomer tripe.
I had to read a short story of his in college about how he went to the good ole grocery store during one of those hot small town summer days and he saw some whore's ass fat folding at the bottom of her jean shorts and how he stared at it. That was literally the point of the story.

>>10003958
That story is kind of atrocious and pointless, yeah, and so are a lot of his short stories. Narcissistic, self-absorbed, masturbatory, and meaningless. Although beautifully written.

Again, I think Roger's Version >>10003860 is one of the books where he transcends his pettiness for a little and actually creates a pretty marvelous and sincerely deep novel.

>>10003790

You should read, if you haven't already, DFW's famous put-down of Updike:

http://observer.com/1997/10/john-updike-champion-literary-phallocrat-drops-one-is-this-finally-the-end-for-magnificent-narcissists/

(Be warned, The Observer bombards you with ads and videos and shit)

>>10004016
https://unvis.it/observer.com/1997/10/john-updike-champion-literary-phallocrat-drops-one-is-this-finally-the-end-for-magnificent-narcissists

Unvisit that shit

>>10003805
Came in here expecting this post. I can say I am proud of you /lit/.

One of the greatest prose-poets. Start with rabbit, run and his short stories, maybe the centaur also

>>10003983
You didn't understand the story, my dude. The narrator isn't in the right (or wronf).
It's a puritan retelling of Araby by Joyce

If you're interested, Olinger Stories is a good place to start. A survey of his short story carrier, the collection goes through time starting from adolescence towards adulthood. Pigeon Feathers and The Happiest I've Been are two that I found worth reading despite the unpleasant air surrounding Updike. He is tender and clear when he writes about youth, but adulthood comes across often too airy and overblown in a sickly way. The other anons in the thread depict him well - there is a lot to Updike not to like. Still he has moments I've found worthwhile. See what his short stories do for you, move on to his Rabbit novels if you like.

>>10003805
Bugs... easy on the comedy gold