My Father's Tears and Other Stories

My Father's Tears and Other Stories | John Updike

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Mortality and memory were on the master‘s mind when he wrote these late-career stories. They are steeped in bittersweet, affable sadness as they struggle to derive truth from relationships: aging parents, old friends, old loves, the last surviving classmates at a reunion, a half-remembered childhood town. The endings are abrupt and hit as your hand reaches out, wanting more. Like the characters, the reader must instead reflect and make do.

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DivineDiana

My Father's Tears: And Other Stories | John Updike

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This is a photograph of a young John. It was his last book and published posthumously. A collection of short stories, all involving an elderly man reminiscing about his past. The main character reminded me of the expression on this photograph. That of a pompous man who thinks women are his playthings. It was fiction, but I can‘t help thinking, there was a lot of John Updike, the man, that was represented, and I did not like him or his stories.

MrBook Excellent! 👍🏻👍🏻 7y

UrsulaMonarch I loved updike's writing when I was younger but I don't want to revisit it for the reasons you outline!! 7y

DivineDiana @Lkelly This was my first Updike, and I chose it for the Litsy A to Z challenge. (I needed a U!) Was thinking I would give him another chance. 🤔 7y

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UrsulaMonarch @DivineDiana ooo, so maybe looking for an Updike where women are not playthings?? A challenge! Maybe one of his writings about his childhood... 7y

DivineDiana @Lkelly Thank you. Sounds like his audience is predominantly a certain kind of man! 😉 7y

UrsulaMonarch I mean, I liked this one a lot but it's kind of like watching Mad Men... VERY of its time as I recall

Rabbit, Run

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UrsulaMonarch @DivineDiana agreed! And I also feel like he was writing when it was assumed that the audience either was all straight white men or would accept that most stories would be about them!! 7y

DivineDiana @Lkelly This is the one that I was considering. Will keep Mad Men in mind. 🙂 7y

DivineDiana @Lkelly Good point! 7y

UrsulaMonarch @DivineDiana 👍👍👍 looking forward to hearing your thoughts if you read it - but also understandable if you go for other books/authors!!! 😂😊 7y

Leftcoastzen Great photo though . I like his earlier books but I never like his characters.Sometimes I like Cheevers highly intoxicated people better. 7y

BarbaraBB I feel the same about Updike though I loved some of his books. The comparison with Mad Men is a good one! 7y

DivineDiana @Leftcoastzen Thank you! Is there a particular earlier book that you recommend? Haven‘t tried Cheever yet. Although there is a collection of his short stories sitting on my TBR shelf! 7y

DivineDiana @BarbaraBB Is there a particular one that you loved? I tried but never fully connected with Mad Men, but there seemed to be a few strong women characters. 7y

BarbaraBB In the end I liked his Rabbit series and also the novella

Marry Me: A Romance

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DivineDiana @BarbaraBB Thank you. The Rabbit books seem to be a favorite. 7y

Leftcoastzen @divineDiana I do like Rabbit series as well. Cheever is a master of the short story but I also highly recommend Wapshot Chronicles and Wapshot Scandal .I feel that Cheever was in the Connecticut crowd but not OF it.His own real life demons gave him a sense that all is not well in suburban white male land. 7y

Leftcoastzen @DivineDiana Also for a great book about Cheever family by his daughter and firstborn Susan

Home Before Dark

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Leftcoastzen I remember how it was ,in the early 60s my mom was the only one on the block who had a career and worked outside the home.My mom was working in the yard in slacks, neighbor lady came out and commented “Oh your husband “lets” you wear slacks?Jim would never let me wear slacks .”Mom and I were gobsmacked. 7y

DivineDiana @Leftcoastzen I like the idea of a book about the family by his daughter. Stacked! Interesting thoughts on Cheever. It does seem as if I would prefer his writing. And fascinating memory of your mother! (edited) 7y

ValerieAndBooks I have most of Updike‘s books 😉. Yes, his characters can be infuriating, and a product of their times, and a few of his works aren‘t that good. But overall I think he‘s a very good writer. “Rabbitt, Run” is a better place to start with Updike. @Lkelly @BarbaraBB @Leftcoastzen 7y

DivineDiana @ValerieAndBooks Thank you! Another vote for the Rabbit books.🙂 7y

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DivineDiana

My Father's Tears: And Other Stories | John Updike

Although Halloween has passed, my decorations have not... yet. So, I could not resist the color story with my latest Playaway. I have never read Updike, and I needed the letter “U” for Litsy A to Z. After this, only X remains!

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MrBook

My Father's Tears: And Other Stories | John Updike

#TBRtemptation post 7! #PhillyMeetUp #bookswap edition! Proudly displayed by @TsundokuAleax ! This long-awaited short story collection occurs in Pennsylvania, New England, and other countries including Morocco and India. Over 10 narratives are presented, ranging from high school class reunions to an old man's bedtime routine. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

Cinfhen This book sounds amazing 😍 7y

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Susanita

My Father's Tears and Other Stories | John Updike

so-so

Meh. Good writing wasted on mostly cynical #shortstories that quickly run together. Infidelity, disappointment, and other #oldwhiteguy stuff. Even a set of vignettes about 9/11 (that seems to come from out of nowhere) has a vaguely superior tone. Inexplicably on the library's "choose civility" reading list. Not much to discuss at #bookclub meeting.

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