Rabbit, Run (Rabbit Angstrom, #1) in The Complete Idiots Guide to the Ultimate Reading List

Jan 29, 2012 Joanie rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2012, bookclub, 1001-book-list, south-shore-readers

Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom has no redeeming qualities. He is a world class douche who runs from all responsibility. I don't get why this book was so groundbreaking. It's not a new story, the world is full of guys who run when life hands them a little too much reality. Maybe Updike was the first to write about this so openly, I don't know.

I am an emotional reviewer. If I don't like the main character I have a hard time liking the book and that was definitely true here. I reached a point where I didn ...more

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Jun 04, 2008 Amanda rated it liked it

Shelves: own, book-club, 1001

The story revolves around Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, a twenty-six-year-old. He was a big basketball star back in high school but now he is married, sells vegetable peelers, and has a second child on the way. And he's unhappy. But it doesn't come right out and tell you he's unhappy.

He's on his way home from work when he sees a bunch of kids playing basketball. He joins in and pretty much womps them. And he goes home and his wife is drinking and smoking (see...the differences between then and now?). ...more

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Feb 24, 2008 Jeremy rated it really liked it

Can I give this book 4 stars for the first 200 pages and 2 stars for the last 60. I thought the selfishness of Updike's characters, Rabbit in particular, was poignant and insightful. I know people that go through life hurting others and leaving a wake behind themselves. This was beilivable. However I didn't buy the end with the event **deleted due to spoiler**. I thought Updike was reaching to hard to prove his point.

I did enjoy the exploration of these peoples "morality" in this period. How cer ...more

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Jul 18, 2009 Sunflower rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-read-2009, historical-fiction

I feel somewhat guilty about giving such an obviously clever writer only three stars...so why? Not because Rabbit is such an anti-hero that you just want to give him a good shake and tell him to get over himself, not because the Popular Penguin edition has such small print that I struggled with it at times, not even because the book felt much longer than it really was. Truthfully, I don't know why it didn't live up to my expectations. I will give the other Rabbit books a try.
If you want to read ...more

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