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The Poorhouse Fair and Rabbit, Run
Two of John Updike's best novels in one volume. An excellent read.
First published January 1, 1965
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About the author
John Updike
870 books2,452 followersJohn Hoyer Updike 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 his careful craftsmanship and prolific writing, having published 22 novels and more than a dozen short story collections as well as poetry, literary criticism and children's books. Hundreds of his stories, reviews, and poems have appeared in The New Yorker since the 1950s. His works often explore sex, faith, and death, and their inter-relationships.
He died of lung cancer at age 76.
He died of lung cancer at age 76.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 6, 2011
"The Poorhouse Fair" by Johnn Updike, Published by Fawcett World Library New York, New York, 1958.
"The Poorhouse Fair" by John Updike is a powerful and thorough book that represents moral desensitization and status struggle between opposing forces. The conflict of interest in the book sparks in a unique setting that encloses the characters to confine measurements, which helps increase tension and belligerent attitudes towards people. The book is separated through its characters and each section helps pinpoint a different perspective for each individual on the matter at hand.
"The Poorhouse Fair" centers around an annual tradition of the “poorhouse fair” in a retirement home in rural New Jersey that is secluded from outside distractions and helps contain situations only in this area. The book follows through the day up until the evening, it starts with the morning of the fair as everyone is getting ready, but the forecast is stormy and dark in reference to weather and the rising conflicts. The book’s opposing forces is the elderly of the home, commonly referred to as “inmates” and the prefect, Conner, who is constantly being judged in comparison to the previous prefect. The residents talk and demean Conner always using tone to emphasize their superiority because of age, knowledge, and experience. Conner has lack of care for the “inmates” and does his job very well, knowing he’ll be promoted in a few years, which is the only reason he’s working at the “poorhouse.” These two opposing forces start miniscule but soon help transform and create conflict as the novel progresses. The result of the problematic situations combines and promotes peoples decisions to unspeakable immoral measures that leave the reader shocked of disbelief. The conclusion incorporates horrific actions from the most unlikely people to give the reader a twisted aspect of certain characters.
"The Poorhouse Fair" had building problematic situations and a surprising ending; however, nothing compares to the patterns, syntax, dialogue, metaphors, analogy, and structural support that was devised for the reader. Updike’s use of comparison and metaphorical language was astonishing to say the least because almost everything, even in a limited area was able to be broken down into comparison. The detail and consistent use of metaphors gives Updike the ability to create a novel over the course of a day, every detail is described to give the reader a full vivid picture of what’s happening. An excellent technique used by Updike is splitting up character perspectives because it gives the reader a chance to know each person, while the narration is omniscient and is able to describe everything happening. Lastly, the interesting notion that Updike does is refrain completely from cursing, which isn’t to say he doesn’t use them, but abbreviates curse words to the first letter only (such as “f.”). This technique could be linked to the moral respect of refraining from cursing in a retirement home or to emphasize unlikely language.
"The Poorhouse Fair" is a metaphorically detailed read because of the minimized time the story takes place and the amount of situational conflict the novel entails. The collaboration of characters and status create tension between rising powers and age. As the story continues and the plot thickens the novel escapades into a rival situation where people do the most unlikely things.
"The Poorhouse Fair" by John Updike is a powerful and thorough book that represents moral desensitization and status struggle between opposing forces. The conflict of interest in the book sparks in a unique setting that encloses the characters to confine measurements, which helps increase tension and belligerent attitudes towards people. The book is separated through its characters and each section helps pinpoint a different perspective for each individual on the matter at hand.
"The Poorhouse Fair" centers around an annual tradition of the “poorhouse fair” in a retirement home in rural New Jersey that is secluded from outside distractions and helps contain situations only in this area. The book follows through the day up until the evening, it starts with the morning of the fair as everyone is getting ready, but the forecast is stormy and dark in reference to weather and the rising conflicts. The book’s opposing forces is the elderly of the home, commonly referred to as “inmates” and the prefect, Conner, who is constantly being judged in comparison to the previous prefect. The residents talk and demean Conner always using tone to emphasize their superiority because of age, knowledge, and experience. Conner has lack of care for the “inmates” and does his job very well, knowing he’ll be promoted in a few years, which is the only reason he’s working at the “poorhouse.” These two opposing forces start miniscule but soon help transform and create conflict as the novel progresses. The result of the problematic situations combines and promotes peoples decisions to unspeakable immoral measures that leave the reader shocked of disbelief. The conclusion incorporates horrific actions from the most unlikely people to give the reader a twisted aspect of certain characters.
"The Poorhouse Fair" had building problematic situations and a surprising ending; however, nothing compares to the patterns, syntax, dialogue, metaphors, analogy, and structural support that was devised for the reader. Updike’s use of comparison and metaphorical language was astonishing to say the least because almost everything, even in a limited area was able to be broken down into comparison. The detail and consistent use of metaphors gives Updike the ability to create a novel over the course of a day, every detail is described to give the reader a full vivid picture of what’s happening. An excellent technique used by Updike is splitting up character perspectives because it gives the reader a chance to know each person, while the narration is omniscient and is able to describe everything happening. Lastly, the interesting notion that Updike does is refrain completely from cursing, which isn’t to say he doesn’t use them, but abbreviates curse words to the first letter only (such as “f.”). This technique could be linked to the moral respect of refraining from cursing in a retirement home or to emphasize unlikely language.
"The Poorhouse Fair" is a metaphorically detailed read because of the minimized time the story takes place and the amount of situational conflict the novel entails. The collaboration of characters and status create tension between rising powers and age. As the story continues and the plot thickens the novel escapades into a rival situation where people do the most unlikely things.
August 30, 2016
THE POORHOUSE FAIR: finished reading on 20 November 2013
I rate this book 3 out of 5 -- GOOD. Don't remember why, but I did not enjoy this one as much as "Couples" or the "Rabbit" series. Maybe it was because it was one his first novel.
RABBIT, RUN: finished reading on 13 April 2013
I rate this book 4 out of 5 -- EXCELLENT. Interesting story, covering a wide range of human emotions. Again, not sure why I enjoy Updike's writing so much, but I do.
I rate this book 3 out of 5 -- GOOD. Don't remember why, but I did not enjoy this one as much as "Couples" or the "Rabbit" series. Maybe it was because it was one his first novel.
RABBIT, RUN: finished reading on 13 April 2013
I rate this book 4 out of 5 -- EXCELLENT. Interesting story, covering a wide range of human emotions. Again, not sure why I enjoy Updike's writing so much, but I do.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews