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10th out of 37 books
—
17 voters
MARRY ME
MARRY ME
by
John Updike
Sally is blonde, expensively dressed and married to Richard. He is the generous husband, making the kind of drunken compromise a man has to make when he is married to a desirable woman. Jerry met his wife Ruth at art school and for all their married lives, Jerry and Sally have been lovers.
Mass Market Paperback
Published
April 12th 1983
by Fawcett
(first published 1971)
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Marriage, if it is lived honestly, holds a mirror to our faces. It shows us who we really are. Romance shows us who we'd like to be.
Sometimes the pain of facing ourselves in marriage is so great that we seek an outside romance through which to lie to ourselves, or obtain a reprieve from our true selves - a place to hide in a candlelit glow. We run from our "Ruth," the truth, to a safer view.
Although many times the book offended me - it was ugly, the language could sometimes bite - Updike showe...more
Sometimes the pain of facing ourselves in marriage is so great that we seek an outside romance through which to lie to ourselves, or obtain a reprieve from our true selves - a place to hide in a candlelit glow. We run from our "Ruth," the truth, to a safer view.
Although many times the book offended me - it was ugly, the language could sometimes bite - Updike showe...more
John Updike was the Mozart of modern American literature. There was nothing that he could not do well. This book is fascinating, quite apart from his wonderful prose style. It apparently is closely based on an actual affair that almost blew Updike's first marriage apart. He alludes to it in his book "Self-Consciousness", saying something along the lines of "I tried to break out of my marriage and failed." He did not publish the book "for personal reasons" while married to his first wife, but bro...more
Well, wonderful. Despite the authors making a joke he called it a 'romance' because people didn't behave that way any more, the book is acutely correct in its understanding of the evolution of human desire and the description of the mental angst when facing the consequences. The characters' behaviour is nauseating, irritating, trying the readers' patience by being so understanding towards each other it leaves every one of them too many options. The multiple choice and indecision throughout the p...more
I read all the reviews of this book before picking it at the book store. Now that I'm finished with it, I have to say I'm a little disappointed in a lot of you.
The reason I actually read it despite the reviews was that like most of John Updike's books, once I started I couldn't put it down. I was literally standing in the book store aisle, 20 pages in and realized I didn't want to stop reading.
John Updike has such a beautiful way of describing things. I love the settings he establishes, the char...more
The reason I actually read it despite the reviews was that like most of John Updike's books, once I started I couldn't put it down. I was literally standing in the book store aisle, 20 pages in and realized I didn't want to stop reading.
John Updike has such a beautiful way of describing things. I love the settings he establishes, the char...more
Jun 01, 2013
Dilyana Georgieva
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
Англоезично-english
Колкото съм изненадана, толкова и не съм. Очаквах плавнота при Ъпдайк и я получих. Макар и може би това да не е най-представителната му книга.
Учудена съм как обикновено толкова много диалог може да е малко дразнещ, но тук тече някак естествено и ненасилено. И все пак остава усещането за застиналост въпреки случването. През цялото време се люшкаш в решението на героя. Но краят определено осмисля всичко и придава нова нишка в значението на цялата книга. Дори смятам, че след като свършиш последнот...more
Учудена съм как обикновено толкова много диалог може да е малко дразнещ, но тук тече някак естествено и ненасилено. И все пак остава усещането за застиналост въпреки случването. През цялото време се люшкаш в решението на героя. Но краят определено осмисля всичко и придава нова нишка в значението на цялата книга. Дори смятам, че след като свършиш последнот...more
Could anyone explain to me what happened in the last two chapters? I just couldn't understand what Updike intended by them.
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This book is depressing. The worst perspective on marriage I've ever read. Honestly, it is so far from what my relationships with men have been like that it didn't come across as real. But then, I've been faithful to my husband for 17 years.
A great book to read if you are considering an adulterous affair, because you'll run away from that lover faster than I got this book out of the way (2 days). I would have never finished it if it weren't the book up for discussion this month. I'm interested...more
A great book to read if you are considering an adulterous affair, because you'll run away from that lover faster than I got this book out of the way (2 days). I would have never finished it if it weren't the book up for discussion this month. I'm interested...more
Overall a decent representation of what Updike can do -- but certainly not his best. Much of the content in this book will be familiar to regular Updike readers -- marital problems, infidelity, inner conflict, obsession with questions of death and God. Bright spots are the many majestic metaphors done with classic Updike panache. He has such an incredible eye for connecting the physical world to the psychological/emotional in a unique and moving way. Main characters here resemble the major playe...more
Between 3 and 3.5 stars for this, but settled for 3 because, despite the obvious strength of talent, Updike as always leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth afterwards--and not an insightful 'wow!' kind of bad taste either.
I've long had issues with Updike, even before college, and now he's finally dead (and nifty male reviewers, esp of his own generation or near it, can stop the accolades except from a distance) I really do wonder for how long and just how profoundly his reputation will remain a...more
I've long had issues with Updike, even before college, and now he's finally dead (and nifty male reviewers, esp of his own generation or near it, can stop the accolades except from a distance) I really do wonder for how long and just how profoundly his reputation will remain a...more
1 like · like · see review
A fascinating book. Many very realistic elements to it. Overall a good read but...
1) I found the writing style very convoluted and inelegant. Chunks of longish, ugly, wordy, prose with little flow were often sprinkled throughout the book.
2) The ending (for me) was nebulous, undefined and confusing. I couldn't quite catch exactly what he was trying to illustrate. Most unsatisfying and the reason for 3 stars instead of 4.
Otherwise a good read if you're interested in watching people trashing each o...more
1) I found the writing style very convoluted and inelegant. Chunks of longish, ugly, wordy, prose with little flow were often sprinkled throughout the book.
2) The ending (for me) was nebulous, undefined and confusing. I couldn't quite catch exactly what he was trying to illustrate. Most unsatisfying and the reason for 3 stars instead of 4.
Otherwise a good read if you're interested in watching people trashing each o...more
I didn't really like this. But it was my first full John Updike novel (have only read some short stories of his in the past) so I could see me growing to really like his books after I've read a couple more & have grown more accustomed to his extremely distinctive style. For now though, the style was *so* distinctive that the strangeness of it kind of distracted me from being able to get into the actual story. Was a lot to get used to. Am still planning to read the Rabbit series after this.
as always, his prose is breathtaking.
as always, people behave badly. cringe-inducing in a way similar to mad-men.
the story revolves around a male character who behaves without regard for the consequences his actions have on others. the male sets off a storm of drama that he feels himself a victim of. similar to run-rabbit-run, but I liked this one much more.
as always, people behave badly. cringe-inducing in a way similar to mad-men.
the story revolves around a male character who behaves without regard for the consequences his actions have on others. the male sets off a storm of drama that he feels himself a victim of. similar to run-rabbit-run, but I liked this one much more.
"Жизнерадостно безгрижна, искрено комична", пише уж Publishers Weekly.(на гърба на корицата) Цитат, който силно ме озадачи. Нито е жизнерадостна, нито комична, още по-малко - безгрижна. А "искрена" е най-малко да се каже. Авторът с лекота навлиза в най-потайните дълбини на "семейното щастие".
This is the first book I have read by this author and was not captivated. I had a hard time getting into the book to start and only modestly enjoyed it as the book progressed. I have more books by him and am hopeful I will have a better experience in future reads.
Apr 02, 2010
Jule
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who liked Revolutionary Road
I found this depressing and I thought the behavior of the cheaters as well as the cheated was pretty unbelievable. But I am really starting to like Updike's style. Let's hope I can find one of his novels that doesn't deal with "suburban adultery" because it's getting old.
Really fantastic writing, perfect dialogue, thoughtful insights, but just depressing. Good twists, probably realistic, but still just made me depressed. So, it's probably worth more stars if you don't mind depressing.
Set during the Kennedy years in commuter Connecticut, Jerry and Sally are having an affiar, but dithering Jerry can't make up his mind what to do about it, and drags both families down in the process.
I had never read anything by Updike so I thought I'd give it a try. Good writing, but I found the characters and their situation annoying, although I think they were supposed to be.
This is a very different book, just as John Is very different from any other style of writer, I don't know if I like it, but I can't hate it and I did enjoy it.
The whole novel it's very weird.
The whole novel it's very weird.
good, very good. but a fluffy last chapter that made me end the book being incapable of either remembering the good parts, or liking any of the characters
My first foray into Mr. Updike's world. Lot's of middle aged people wanting to split up and have sex with different partners etc. Very fierce and funny.
I thought, with his passing, I should read one of his books. It has an interesting twist, but he is still not among my favorite authors.
A very clever novel dissecting the true nature of adultery and marriage. I especially appreciated the ending which is suitably unreliable.
4 stars simply because of Updike's prose. The narrative itself is less arresting although still drew me in page after page.
I read this book on a summer break from college when I just had to leave town to get away. I remember it being entertaining.
i wanted to read one of john updike's books while he was still alive. you know, in case i got a chance to chat with him about it.
reading this book is my way of saying "crap, you are dead"
reading this book is my way of saying "crap, you are dead"
Настолько пронзительно и точно, что у меня нет слов. Так и бывает в жизни.
I was madly in love with my high school boyfriend when I read this book.
I would have given this book five stars, but the ending was ridiculous.
Liked and did not like the book at the same time. It was written well... but I did not get the main message. Maybe I did not like the book because I did not like any of the 4 characters
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John Hoyer Updike (born March 18, 1932 in Shillington, Pennsylvania) was an American writer. Updike's most famous work is his Rabbit series (Rabbit, Run; Rabbit Redux; Rabbit Is Rich; Rabbit At Rest; and Rabbit Remembered). Rabbit is Rich and Rabbit at Rest both won Pulitzer Prizes for Updike. Describing his subject as "the American small town, Protestant middle class," Updike is well known for hi...more
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