Reading 1001 discussion

1. How did you experience the book? Were you engaged immediately, or did it take you a while to "get into it"? How did you feel reading it—amused, sad, disturbed, confused, bored...?

I read it is 2012. I don't like books with sex and swearing but I did like this book. Is it action packed, no. It is a book that is focused on character development and not plot.

I had tried in the past a few times to read this, and got nowhere. So I forced myself to finish it this time. I think there are a lot of topics in this book that could lead to some very good discussion. However, I had a very hard time with the misogyny that Updike makes no attempt to hide, in this book, or, from what I've read, in all of his books. So it was not a fun read for me.

While reading it I wanted to crush Rabbit. I wanted to try and save Janice and Ruth.

But I liked the book. I want to read more.

I am currently struggling with it. I'm listening to it rather than reading it and finding my mind wandering. I feel like I keep missing important sections but not liking it enough to go back and re-listen. I have an hour commute each way to work so am listening to it then.

The misogyny is hard for me to get past.

Rating: 3 stars
Read: October 2016

This was better than I anticipated. Not really my thing, but not bad either. I agree with a lot of the comments made. Rabbit isn't a very likable character and I think that may make the book difficult for a lot of readers. The misogyny made me cringe at times, but this may have been common for men from his time. Perhaps he just verbalized it more. The storyline was far from riveting. BUT, for all of its flaws, the writing is very good. So, basically, I feel conflict about my feelings regarding this book. I can totally see how some people love it while others hate it.

I remember reading a review of this book in TIME magazine in 1960 when it was released and I had just started a subscription to TIME to try to figure out the world beyond New Zealand, so you could say that it has been on my Want To Read list since then. I am listening to an Audible version, so, although some of the descriptions are beautifully written I don't stop to savour them because I am usually driving. It does seem very dated. Updike seems to be writing from a perspective of twenty years before the novel is set. How many fathers would not be present at a birth and how many babies would be left in a nursery in 1960 or thereabouts?