Gas lines, Krugerrands, the silver splurge, Iranian hostages, the price of oil. Updike settles Rabbit at the age of 46 in the middle of the Carter administration. Thanks to the convenience of his father in law's death, Rabbit finds himself the chief sales rep for Springer Motors. In the midst of the nation's first oil crisis, it's only natural that Springer Motors has obtained a Toyota distributorship. And "Rabbit is Rich." Son Nelson is now 23, a disaffected college drop out, with one too many girlfriends, one of whom is pregnant. The father-son rivalry for who will be king of the car lot is a central issue to "Rabbit is Rich." Updike's tone is sardonic. There is more comedy in Rabbit's third appearance and it serves the novel well. Rabbit's snooping in a neighboring couple's bath and bedroom provides a glimpse into Rabbit's continuing search for sexual experience outside of his marriage to Janice when he discover's the couple's collection of Polaroid SX-70, shall we say "candid" shots. Rabbit muses he had wondered why the camera model was an SX. He has no difficulty filling in the middle letter as he shuffles through the couples' photographs. Visions of Bo Derek in "10" dance through his head. When Rabbit is rich, anything is possible. Updike's novel takes the Pulitzer for literature and I won't quibble with that. Rabbit returns for one last time in "Rabbit at Rest." And that is next on the reading list.