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<book id="180824">
  <title><![CDATA[Couples]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[0449221679]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780449221679]]></isbn13>
      <description><![CDATA[]]></description>
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  <books_count type="integer">24</books_count>
  <id type="integer">1034115</id>
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  <original_publication_day type="integer" nil="true"></original_publication_day>
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  <original_publication_year type="integer">1968</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>Couples</original_title>
  <rating_dist>total:752|5:129|4:258|3:235|2:97|1:33|</rating_dist>
  <ratings_count type="integer">752</ratings_count>
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  <reviews_count type="integer">1141</reviews_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">76</text_reviews_count>
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  <average_rating><![CDATA[3.47]]></average_rating>
  <ratings_count><![CDATA[0]]></ratings_count>
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  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180824.Couples]]></url>
  <authors>
        <author id="6878">
      <name><![CDATA[John Updike]]></name>
      <role><![CDATA[]]></role>
      <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6878.John_Updike]]></url>
      <average_rating><![CDATA[3.59]]></average_rating>
      <ratings_count><![CDATA[22958]]></ratings_count>
      <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[2670]]></text_reviews_count>
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    <reviews start="1" end="20" total="1141">
    <review id="46668363">
    <user id="193310">
    <name><![CDATA[brian]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Los Angeles, CA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/193310-brian]]></url>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">66</text_reviews_count>
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    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>10</votes>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[erik simon]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Feb 17 13:57:11 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Feb 17 14:12:53 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[one reads a lot of this about updike: “it’s really well written, but…”, “the prose soars, but…”, “the writing was great, but…”<br/><br/>you don’t see a lot of this regarding vincent van gogh: “it’s really well painted, but…”, “the brush strokes are nice but…  isn...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46668363">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46668363]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="63019089">
    <user id="26852">
    <name><![CDATA[Eric]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Minneapolis, MN]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/26852-eric]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1247599108p3/26852.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">1047681</id>
  <isbn>0394420667</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780394420660</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">15</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">7</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
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    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>13</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jul 11 06:43:01 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 16 13:01:08 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I’m honestly a bit surprised that I picked this up. To my mind it was the jejune, possibly self-caricatural big bestseller, the book whose fame caused every obituary writer to narrowly cast Updike as a chronicler of upper-middle class New England marriages (Rabbit is a Pennsylvanian petit-bourgeoi...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63019089">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63019089]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="16805851">
    <user id="578063">
    <name><![CDATA[Rebecca]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/578063-rebecca-f]]></url>
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  <id type="integer">1047681</id>
  <isbn>0394420667</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780394420660</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">15</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">7</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187717682m/1047681.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1047681.Couples</link>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>4</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Mar 10 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Mar 01 19:50:32 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Mar 11 16:54:02 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Maybe I'm an idealist when it comes to matter of the heart, romantic idiom, love and marriage, so it is hard for me to grasp the reality that some people actually live(d) as described in this book.  But with an entire novel (Couples) and a good part of at least two of the Rabbit books dedicated to t...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16805851">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16805851]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="23088845">
    <user id="1017488">
    <name><![CDATA[Erik]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Nyack, NY]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1017488-erik-simon]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1255009279p3/1017488.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">11662</id>
  <isbn>044991190X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780449911907</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">712</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">66</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166485385m/11662.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11662.Couples</link>
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    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue May 27 19:01:06 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue May 27 19:05:35 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I love this painful book.  I'm an Updike fan.  He's a real pro with everything he writes, and as with all pros who do have bad outings, he does have some clunkers (Brazil, Ford Administration).  But COUPLES is not one of them. The book is not the sexual romp that the blurbs and jacket copy pronounce...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23088845">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23088845]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="63054905">
    <user id="738584">
    <name><![CDATA[Rebecca]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/738584-rebecca]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">11662</id>
  <isbn>044991190X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780449911907</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">712</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">66</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166485385m/11662.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11662.Couples</link>
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    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at>Sat Jul 11 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jul 11 11:43:21 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jul 11 12:03:19 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Skimming a few of the other reviews on this site, I feel as though I've had a rather common reaction to this book.  The language is definitely impressive.  In Updike's hands, English feels infinitely supple and expressive.  But reading this novel, I kept thinking, What is the *point* exactly?  The s...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63054905">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63054905]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="47878336">
    <user id="954812">
    <name><![CDATA[Heather]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Stanford, CA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/954812-heather-hadlock]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1209656937p3/954812.jpg]]></image>
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  <id type="integer">11662</id>
  <isbn>044991190X</isbn>
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  <ratings_count type="integer">712</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">66</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166485385m/11662.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11662.Couples</link>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>true</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="life-is-too-short" />
        <shelf name="literary-novels" />
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Mar 09 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Mar 01 07:39:14 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Mar 09 13:56:26 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[What I learned from this book...<br/>With a name like &quot;Foxy,&quot; it is very likely you will have an affair with the earthy married contractor who's remodeling your house.  <br/>If your husband is a super-brainy scientist exploring the mysteries of life at the cellular level, it is very like...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47878336">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47878336]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="46016601">
    <user id="1949801">
    <name><![CDATA[Hillery]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Atlanta, GA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1949801-hillery]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1232822042p3/1949801.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">11662</id>
  <isbn>044991190X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780449911907</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">712</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">66</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166485385m/11662.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11662.Couples</link>
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    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Feb 18 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Feb 11 04:31:21 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Feb 18 13:03:06 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Interesting book about the nature of relationships.  Set in a suburb of Boston over the course of a year--Spring 1963 to Spring 1964, the book follows the lives of about 8 couples in their mid-20s to mid-30s and their interlocking friendships.  Published in 1968, it was scandalous for its time in th...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46016601">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46016601]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="52439048">
    <user id="603552">
    <name><![CDATA[Cari]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/603552-cari]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1209313610p3/603552.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">11662</id>
  <isbn>044991190X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780449911907</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">712</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">66</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166485385m/11662.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11662.Couples</link>
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    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Apr 12 18:15:08 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Apr 12 18:25:21 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I gave this book 2 stars, because like the other Updike I've read (Rabbit, Run), there is no denying that Couples is well-written.  However, also like Rabbit, Run, I just didn't like it.  I don't enjoy Updike's characters - I find them all completely unsympathetic.  This novel seems to be about the ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/52439048">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/52439048]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="58491498">
    <user id="232493">
    <name><![CDATA[Leslie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Austin, TX]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/232493-leslie]]></url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">11662</id>
  <isbn>044991190X</isbn>
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  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
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    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at>Tue Jun 23 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jun 04 20:07:14 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jun 23 18:26:57 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I picked up this book at a used book sale years ago, and it has sat expectantly on my shelf ever since. I finally gave it a shot, and overall, it left me cold. There's no doubting Updike is a gorgeously gifted writer, but nothing about the novel as a whole or the characters particularly gripped me. ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58491498">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58491498]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="30380951">
    <user id="314043">
    <name><![CDATA[Zach]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Ann Arbor, MI]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/314043-zach]]></url>
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    <book>
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  <ratings_count type="integer">712</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">66</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166485385m/11662.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11662.Couples</link>
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    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Aug 17 11:24:15 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Nov 10 20:33:51 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Couples is a book that's beautifully written and smartly conceived, but it didn't resonate with me in the slightest. Superficially, it ought to have appealed to me as the Rabbit Angstrom novels are perhaps my favorite work of literature, but Couples lacked the urgency of a main character like Rabbit...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30380951">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30380951]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="29703186">
    <user id="1408042">
    <name><![CDATA[Liz]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Kent, OH]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1408042-liz]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1218201965p3/1408042.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
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  <title>Couples</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166485385m/11662.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11662.Couples</link>
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    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>true</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Aug 09 12:35:34 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Aug 09 12:52:41 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is one of the more memorable books I've read in the last ten years.  Although Updike always attempts to present illicit suburban sex in an edgy, somewhat shocking way, from today's very much more jaded sexual perspective his &quot;shocking&quot; objectification of these suburban women, his desc...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29703186">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29703186]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="17503197">
    <user id="686677">
    <name><![CDATA[Laura]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Littleton, CO]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/686677-laura]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1197748277p3/686677.jpg]]></image>
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  <ratings_count type="integer">15</ratings_count>
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  <title>Couples</title>
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    <rating>3</rating>
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  <date_added>Tue Mar 11 07:04:15 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Mar 31 20:45:29 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Updike’s Couples is surprisingly like the show Desperate Housewives, only much more beautifully written.  Updike reveals the restless undercurrent of married life for a set of posh couples inhabiting and upper-class northern seaside town in the 60’s.  As their close-knit group becomes increasing...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/17503197">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/17503197]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="13585577">
    <user id="419307">
    <name><![CDATA[Rachel]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Denton, TX]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/419307-rachel]]></url>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">66</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples</title>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2004</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jan 25 20:26:41 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jan 25 20:27:49 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[(writen 6-04)<br/><br/>This was the closest thing to a romance novel I have probably ever read, although I think it has literary value.  I heard that when it came out it had some of the raciest scenes - I guess the public was ready though because it was a best-seller.  Oh, the couples of Tarbox, w...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13585577">more...</a>]]></body>
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</review>
    <review id="66111841">
    <user id="228441">
    <name><![CDATA[Andrewh]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United Kingdom]]></location>        
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">1240581</id>
  <isbn>0141188987</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780141188980</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">6</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples (Penguin Modern Classics)</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182182585m/1240581.jpg</image_url>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Mon Aug 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Aug 04 01:32:16 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Aug 10 02:48:48 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[This is excellent early Updike, with his trademark sinuous descriptions of bodies and minds intertwining. The assassination of JFK floats around in the backstory, as the consequences of the couples' swinging come home to roost. That said, the dialogue is hard to credit, being continually pitched at ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66111841">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66111841]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="55130299">
    <user id="588949">
    <name><![CDATA[Jennifer]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Francisco, CA]]></location>        
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  <title>Couples</title>
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    <rating>2</rating>
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  <date_added>Wed May 06 07:23:57 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed May 06 07:25:28 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Couldn't even finish this book--and I tried pretty hard. These couples just became insufferable after a while, everyone cheating on one another and then doing nothing to make their lives what they want it to be. A bunch of miserable people complaining a lot and longing after one another--a real slog...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55130299">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55130299]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="24179991">
    <user id="1225173">
    <name><![CDATA[Eric]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Nampa, ID]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1225173-eric-outen]]></url>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <date_added>Tue Jun 10 16:38:50 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jun 10 16:46:06 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book is one of the reasons I'm still single.  It all starts out with an affair, a married man sleeping with a married woman.  When their subsequent spouses find out, they too have affairs to get even.  It escalates to the point where everyone in town is essentially sleeping with everyone else, ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24179991">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24179991]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="38656640">
    <user id="1589698">
    <name><![CDATA[Josh]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Exeter, NH]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1589698-josh]]></url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">11662</id>
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  <isbn13>9780449911907</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">712</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">66</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166485385m/11662.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11662.Couples</link>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Mon Dec 08 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Nov 25 17:18:10 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Dec 08 05:32:47 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The core of this novel focuses on extra-marital relationships in an affluent New England coastal town.  Adultery, taboo or accepted, is a topic that Updike is not afraid to expand upon.  He has a great talent of describing an everyday occurence or making a seemingly mundane observation in a creative...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38656640">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38656640]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="67021062">
    <user id="689723">
    <name><![CDATA[Alexis]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Canada]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/689723-alexis]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1198117279p3/689723.jpg]]></image>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">11662</id>
  <isbn>044991190X</isbn>
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  <ratings_count type="integer">712</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">66</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166485385m/11662.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11662.Couples</link>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Fri Aug 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Aug 11 19:31:18 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Aug 14 16:00:31 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I love Updike's description and dialogue. This book must have been scandalous in the late 1960s. It's a depiction of a town in which everyone is adulterous and sleeps with each other. Intriguing and kind of gross, too. His endings always seem to peter out for me.]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67021062]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="42776585">
    <user id="85595">
    <name><![CDATA[Katie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/85595-katie]]></url>
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  <ratings_count type="integer">712</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">66</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166485385m/11662.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11662.Couples</link>
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    <rating>2</rating>
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  <read_at>Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2001</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jan 12 07:20:49 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jan 12 07:20:49 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Absolutely not my favorite John Updike book.  Maybe he was still writing fantastically, but I really couldn't tell because of the impression I got of him drooling while reading over my shoulder.  Just lewd.]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42776585]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="77446186">
    <user id="221931">
    <name><![CDATA[Nixs]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United Kingdom]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/221931-nixs]]></url>
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  <ratings_count type="integer">712</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">66</text_reviews_count>
  <title>Couples</title>
  <average_rating>3.47</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166485385m/11662.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11662.Couples</link>
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    <rating>2</rating>
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  <read_at>Mon Oct 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Nov 11 10:20:52 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Nov 11 10:22:31 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Perhaps this was the way you were mean't to feel but I felt like a voyeur - never really feeling part of what was going on.  I just couldn't get into the characters and rarely felt fully absorbed by the prose]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77446186]]></url>
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