John Updike, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, prolific man of letters and erudite chronicler of sex, divorce and other adventures in the postwar prime of the American empire, died Tuesday at age 76.
In the richest detail, Updike recorded the extremes of earthly desire and spiritual zealotry, whether the comic philandering of a preacher or the steady rage of a young Muslim. Raised in the Protestant community of Shillington, Pa., where the Lord's Prayer was recited daily at school, Updike was a lifelong churchgoer influenced by his faith, but not immune to doubts.
Catch-22. A Farewell to Arms, Rabbit Run, Of Mice and Men, all are hailed as literary classics. Yet, hard as it may be to believe, there are hundreds of attempts each year to remove these and other great books from schools and libraries. In fact, according to the American Library Association, 42 of 100 books recognized by the Radcliffe Publishing Course as the best novels of the 20th century have been challenged or banned.
Rabbit, Run was published in 1960. John Updike wrote three more Rabbit novels, one at the end of the '60s, '70s, and '80s. He says these novels became “a running report on the state of my hero and his nation.” He won the Pulitzer Prize for the “final” two books. In 2006, The Rabbit series was voted number four on The New York Times list of “the best work of American fiction of the past 25 years.” Rabbit, Run was also selected by Time magazine as one of the top 100 books from 1923-2005. And the novel is also listed by the American Library Association as one of the 100 most frequently banned books in the 20th century.
Why was it banned? The book was set in 1959, which is like Leave It To Beaver time. Yes, but Rabbit, Run touches on some delicate issues, issues such as prostitution, male and female orgasms, alcoholism, adultery, birth control, and abortion. The 26-year old protagonist Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom even leers at 14-year old girls (though only to make his girlfriend jealous).
As we approach Valentine's Day, my thoughts will fondly turn to Ruth, an ex-prostitute, a sexually experienced woman, and an atheist. She provides alternative viewpoints on sex and religion to those of the other characters in the novel. She is the only character that brings up birth control, and she wishes people didn’t make such a big deal about the difference between men and women. She is also Rabbit’s lover and perhaps the one person who really understands him, at least when they are first together. She also has an excellent sense of humor, and knows how to turn a difficult moment in their relationship into something hilarious. Remember when Rabbit asked her if she was “really a hooer”?
You may enjoy reading: Remembrance of Things Past!
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