Rabbit Redux by John Updike

Publisher: Knopf

Date: 1971

I can see now why Updike has recieved so much praise for his Rabbit Series of books. Rabbit Run was a fantastic, heartwrenching book about a man who was acting out of his time. Rabbit Angstrom was a young, 26 year old father, making serious mistakes that would carry consequences for the rest of his life.

Redux is a continuation of that first book, only it is set 10 years later in the hedonistic late 60’s. Rabbit is a bit older. So are his wife and son. The amazing thing Updike has done with this book is that he has made it an almost seamless progression from the first.

Earlier today, I dropped off the copy of Redux I had borrowed from Casey. We had read Rabbit Run together last year for our book club, The Bloomsbury Two. The first thing he asked me as I handed it back to him was, “So, is it better than the first one?” I answered, “Yes…well…I think so, maybe.” The point being, I am not sure which is better. They are both equally fantastic. Updike has created a character in Harry ‘Rabbit’ Angstrom that is one of the most amazing I’ve ever read. Love him or hate him, we truly, truly know him. Outwardly, he is a man entirely made up of middle class cliches. He has a decent job. He has a house in a sub-division. He is married with a family. He is a former high school sports star, etc. Any way, he portrays all of these things that would lead us to believe he is an ordinary Joe, but he is so much more and different than the obvious. 

I was worried that I might open up a can of worms and have to dig straight into the rest of the Rabbit Angstrom’s life. Looks like I am heading that way and can’t wait.