John Updike Revisited

by James A. Schiff and James Schiff

Book Overview

Twaynes United States Authors Series presents concise critical introductions to great writers and their works.

Devoted to critical interpretation and discussion of an authors work, each study takes account of major literary trends and important scholarly contributions and provides new critical insights with an original point of view. An Authors Series volumeaddresses readers ranging from advanced high school students to university professors...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805746110
• ISBN13: 9780805746112
• Release Date: May 1998
• Publisher: Twayne Publishers
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Book on Updike

James Schiff's book on John Updike is the best I've read. Schiff seems to know everything about Updike, and his ability to discuss such a range of novels in so few pages is impressive. His chapter on Updike as a man of letters is a brilliant, well-researched, and eloquent argument for Updike's place as one of America's finest critics. In addition, he offers the finest criticism I've seen on The Poorhouse Fair, the Scarlet Letter novels, The Witches of Eastwick, Buchanan Dying, Memories of the Ford Administration, Brazil, and In the Beauty of the Lilies. His chapter on the Rabbit novels is also intelligent and articulate, one of the better summaries of that great multivolume achievement. All in all, Schiff's book is a must read for anyone interested in Updike.

The most current and complete review of Updike's oeuvre

How can anyone in 228 pages possibly get a genuine feel for Updike's huge oeuvre? Mr. James A. Schiff can and does by giving the Updike fan and student a nice rehashing of most all of his works to date. The author surpasses the seminal critical works by the Hamilton's, Elizabeth Tallent. Rachel Burchard, Robert Detweiler, and others I've read by including some critical reviews never before in print.He begins by discussing and memorilizing family and community in THE POORHOUSE FAIR and THE CENTAUR. This gentleman critic from the University of Cincinnati looks at Rabbit Angstrom as an American icon and then thoroughly discusses the Rabbit teralogy. The marriage novels, COUPLES and THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK are taken together. In chapter five he discusses the much rehearsed Hawthorne trilogy of S., ROGER'S VERSION, and A MONTH OF SUNDAYS. A section on recreating American history is discussed in the rather obscure BUCHANAN DYING, MEMORIES OF THE FORD ADMINISTRATION, and Schiff recreates a renewed (or perhaps original) interest in IN THE BEAUTY OF THE LILIES in an unbiased review of perhaps Updike's "greatest work" according to Schiff.A chapter on his short stories which a lot of people consider Updike's forte (a master of the small canvass) and even the Pulitzer Prize winning novelist's expertise as "the contemporary independent critic" are explored in his three and soon to be published fourth book on criticism not to mention his frequent stints as editor, Intro, and Preface writer. JOHN UPDIKE REVISITED is a thoughtful, knowledgeable, and highly readable book that must receive a five star--but of course I'm an Updike fan.