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Joel's Reviews > Rabbit, Run
Rabbit, Run (Rabbit Angstrom, #1)
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You know what would be nice, is if there was a wikipedia for life, and every time you met someone, you could just give it a glance and see if, you know, you really want to be associated with that person.
Sure, it would backfire, it would reveal your prejudices and narrow-mindedness, your circle of friends might become a lot less varied and interesting. On the other hand, you'd never have to fake a conversation about football again, and you could easily avoid the total assholes like Rabbit Angstrom.
I didn't finish this book. I read 30 or 40 pages and I can't even remember the writing because never before have I hated a character so much. I am someone who never notices the annoying characters in books or movies; mostly, you have to reach a Bella Swan-level of idiocy before I'll start hating you. Rabbit did it within a few pages. I can decide what it was: was it when he berated his wife for being too fat and unkempt after giving birth to and caring for his child? Was it when he kept thinking about how dumb she was? Was it how he pulled that whole, "See you honey, I'm going to the store... forever!" trick, and ran off to sleep with his mistress and mope about his sad excuse for a life?
But this is an Important Book by a Famous Author, and who wants to admit defeat? So I went to wikipedia and I read the plot synopsis. Disgusted, I read about the rest of Rabbit Angstrom's life as told in Rabbit Redux, Rabbit is Rich andYay, Rabbit is Dead Rabbit at Rest. Spoiler alert: he never stops being absolutely horrible for a single second. They say you shouldn't make snap judgments, but I'd wager running away from your wife and toddler son with nary a word is one of those times where basing your opinion on a first impression is ok.
Please, go ahead and tell me I am wrong for reviewing this without finishing it, for not appreciating Updike's prose, for not seeing how he has humanized a hateful man, for failing to realize the way Rabbit's life works as a metaphor for the deconstruction of masculine identity in post-WWII America, or how erectile dysfunction is a really big deal, or the lie of hyper-consumerism, or the empty pursuit of middle-class ideals. Then I can go ahead and make a snap judgment about you too (for clarity: JUST KIDDING!).
Sometimes you just don't want to read a nasty, ugly book about someone horrible. Let alone fucking four of them. This one's for you, wikipedia.
Facebook 30 Day Book Challenge Day 2: Least favorite book.
Sure, it would backfire, it would reveal your prejudices and narrow-mindedness, your circle of friends might become a lot less varied and interesting. On the other hand, you'd never have to fake a conversation about football again, and you could easily avoid the total assholes like Rabbit Angstrom.
I didn't finish this book. I read 30 or 40 pages and I can't even remember the writing because never before have I hated a character so much. I am someone who never notices the annoying characters in books or movies; mostly, you have to reach a Bella Swan-level of idiocy before I'll start hating you. Rabbit did it within a few pages. I can decide what it was: was it when he berated his wife for being too fat and unkempt after giving birth to and caring for his child? Was it when he kept thinking about how dumb she was? Was it how he pulled that whole, "See you honey, I'm going to the store... forever!" trick, and ran off to sleep with his mistress and mope about his sad excuse for a life?
But this is an Important Book by a Famous Author, and who wants to admit defeat? So I went to wikipedia and I read the plot synopsis. Disgusted, I read about the rest of Rabbit Angstrom's life as told in Rabbit Redux, Rabbit is Rich and
Please, go ahead and tell me I am wrong for reviewing this without finishing it, for not appreciating Updike's prose, for not seeing how he has humanized a hateful man, for failing to realize the way Rabbit's life works as a metaphor for the deconstruction of masculine identity in post-WWII America, or how erectile dysfunction is a really big deal, or the lie of hyper-consumerism, or the empty pursuit of middle-class ideals. Then I can go ahead and make a snap judgment about you too (for clarity: JUST KIDDING!).
Sometimes you just don't want to read a nasty, ugly book about someone horrible. Let alone fucking four of them. This one's for you, wikipedia.
Facebook 30 Day Book Challenge Day 2: Least favorite book.
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Rabbit, Run.
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
March 28, 2010
– Shelved
March 28, 2010
– Shelved as:
classics
March 28, 2010
– Shelved as:
did-not-finish
June 8, 2011
– Shelved as:
30-day-book-challenge
Comments Showing 1-34 of 34 (34 new)
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Jenn(ifer)
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rated it 4 stars
Jun 08, 2011 02:23PM
I agree with you that Rabbit is one of the most despicable characters ever imagined, but I think that's one of the reasons I liked the book so much. Never had an author before or since created such a vile character; I hated him with fervor! Maybe that's a strange reason to like a book, but when an author creates in me such a visceral reaction, I can't help but enjoy myself along the way.
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sometimes, sure. i hate almost everyone in revolutionary road but i still liked that book. i just really hated rabbit. i read for fun, mostly, which doesn't mean only happy, fun books, but i didn't want to be miserable. this book was making me miserable.
Maybe I'll just cut and paste this for my review...although the narrative style bothered me more than the character's asshole-ness.
like i said, i can't remember the writing very well, but it did a good job of making me hate rabbit. though i guess i could blame the prose since i DID rip right through similarly dark & hateful books because i liked the writing.
i dunno... some of my selections will already have reviews and i think a few categories don't need them (books you have faked reading, book you want to read). it is... ambitious though. especially if i want to, like, read books and write reviews for those books. it would be neat though.
i think that means, like, an "important" book you should have read, or, like, everyone was talking about it so you pretended you did? i dunno. i sure pretended to have read a big chunk of great expectations in high school...
maybe a relative gave you a book you didn't want to read so you said you did? i don't know... i have no idea for that one either. the only way i "pretended" to read GE in school was i took a test on it.
What about books for school? I'm sure there were a couple I faked my way through. Oh, for sure I lied that I finished, um, Shamela? Maybe it was Tom Jones.
i kind of lied about heart of darkness (10th grade?). i could NOT read it so i got the audiobook and slept through half.
Sandybanks wrote: "This is a great review!"tyvm!
that's ok, i'm sure you hate something i like.
No. I set aside this book because I hated reading it.
nah, if you read the comments above you'll note i reference revolutionary road, which was about similarly horrible people, but i quite liked that book. something about this one just didn't engage me, which made it easy to drop on rabbit's account.
That seems like a reasonable reason to hate a book to me. I'm struggling through a book with an unlikeable main character right now, and it's sure as heck not doing the book any favors - and this guy's not an asshole, he's just an entitled teen. But god... multiple books of asshole without any redeeming growth at all? I'll pass. Thanks for the review and the summary, Joel. I can't say that I was planning on reading this one, but you've saved me the trouble of decision-making should it come up. ;)
Reese wrote: "Seeing what's good in him and how he changes probably requires reading the books, not wiki."LOL... Fair point.
What about wikipedia AND Cliff's Notes? ;)
Reese wrote: "Becky, now I'm laughing. (The combo just might be enough to completely f___ up your ability to grasp the most important elements of the novels.) Thank you for the laugh. I needed it."
I don't doubt that a bit. My IQ probably just fell a couple points just for typing that sentence. ;)
Loved reading your review! Your fervent, passionate hatred of Rabbit Angstrom was far more enjoyable to read than the book itself.
thanks! glad you enjoyed it more than the book. because if you didn't... yeesh... ;)
I am also considering giving up on this book. It is just No Fun.
I LOVE THIS REVIEW!
thank you! i haven't read it in a few years and basically forgot writing it, and i like it too.
Elizabeth wrote: ""Yay Rabbit is Dead" is still one of my favorite lines on goodreads."That sentence cracked me up too. :D :D
Your opinion is invalid. You did not Finnish the book. You did not read any of the sequels. If i go to a restaurant and eat half the entree and leave before the main or dessert is served how can i give a fair review of the place.
ChrisB90 wrote: "Your opinion is invalid. You did not Finnish the book. You did not read any of the sequels. If i go to a restaurant and eat half the entree and leave before the main or dessert is served how can i ..."You're kidding, right? If you go to a restaurant and you hate the entree so much that you leave without finishing it, isn't that exactly the kind of circumstance that would lead you to post a bad review? (Also, you do understand that an opinion can't be invalid, right? Because I don't think you understand the meaning of one or both of those words.)
Lastly, I think you mean "finish" and "I".
Sheesh. Can I give your reply to the review 0 stars?
Sorry marie. i didn’t Finnish reading all of you’re coment, butt i didnt think the opening was very goood, so i’m sure the rest of it is rubish to. i also have no interest in reading any of you’re further responses. so, without opening a page, i’m just going to assume they are rubish aswel and broadcast it to the rest of the world.
I'm so proud I had to google Bella Swan while reading this
That is the epitome of "THE BEST" review, description of an experience or place or WINE, RESTAURANT lol...may I send you "blurbs" (how fitting) of the many fuckasses i cross paths with? It's the first time I have read anyone validate this FACT of inbred Dumbasses leaving no room for the usual "mainstream moronic cliche responses" such as "Well Gawd luvz everee UN..N ..ALL HE NEEDZ IZZA LIL LUVV N UNDERSTANDINNNN" to this I say : eat me !!
I beg to differ, that has a ring of being stated "as THE FINAL WORD" lol YOU ~~~ projecting onto JOEL what his rating level decisions are based on when submitting reviews for books ~ if the featured character is some fuckass who irritates him ~ ZAP! ONE STAR ! Oh, WAIT !! Gosh...newsflash: UH, that's LIKELY THE CASE..DUHHHH !! REVIEWING !! Not the Enflish Professor EDITING for style, composition, et al !! REVIEWING ! HE DON'T LIKE THE FUCKER, doesn't find him even an "intriguing" fucker (the worst). If I think Al Bundy on "Married With Children" and the entire family is just stupid poo poo and vagina and boobs and penis nasty ha ha's, and so REVIEW IT AS AN UTTERLY STUPID "wanna be clever outrageous sitcom" that MISSED (except to all the inbred oatmeal brains out there watching nascar lol) ...ummmm....yes, one could have the best sitcom script writers on the payroll ~ if the players are repugnant pukes and boring repugnant pukes to boot NO SHIT IT'S A ONE STAR ! A REVIEW ! IT SUCKS !! DIDN'T FLIPPIN LIKE IT ONE BIT! Ok ?
„Sorry marie. i didn’t Finnish reading all of you’re coment, butt i didnt think the opening was very goood, so i’m sure the rest of it is rubish to. i also have no interest in reading any of you’re further responses. so, without opening a page, i’m just going to assume they are rubish aswel and broadcast it to the rest of the world.â€�—â¶Ä�
Same here.
It would be nice if one made the effort to finish a book most literate people around the world consider to be a seminal work, before providing a vacuous opinion that basically screams "Me! Me! Me! Me don't read but my opinion important guide to all!!!" Phew!
I wish I hadn't been too compulsive and nerdy to stop reading without finishing it. You made a good decision there.
I didn't even get as far as you before I disgustedly ditched it. He comes home and immediately we hear how his wife looks old now. She has TWO wrinkles. The bitch. He muses that maybe the wrinkles will be gone one day and she will be his girlfriend again. OMG. And WTF? Like, he hasn't gotten any wrinkles, himself? And why does that matter???? I popped on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to see if anybody else shared the same repulsion. Yours was the first I read. LOL. Good to see I'm not alone.
Valerie wrote: "I beg to differ, that has a ring of being stated "as THE FINAL WORD" lol YOU ~~~ projecting onto JOEL what his rating level decisions are based on when submitting reviews for books ~ if the feature..."Wow! Some people should stick to Harlequin titles, and some of those should take their medication...
