"Ironically, Updike is seen by many as the epitome of the patrician, northeastern establishment novelist."
Maybe we wouldn't think that if he didn't always work it into every conversation and interview that he went to Harvard, and if he didn't write so many clearly autobiographical characters who were obsessed with having gone to the World's Greatest University! Honestly, he was worse, much worse, than Fitzgerald on this point. And, as Indyanna pointed out, his "decadent" phase (post-1970?) was all about the foibles of the idle upper-middle class in the suburban Northeast. Very Cheeveresque, although without the charm.
Anyway--thanks for your comments yesterday, and this nice post.
Robert, you write:
ReplyDelete"Ironically, Updike is seen by many as the epitome of the patrician, northeastern establishment novelist."
Maybe we wouldn't think that if he didn't always work it into every conversation and interview that he went to Harvard, and if he didn't write so many clearly autobiographical characters who were obsessed with having gone to the World's Greatest University! Honestly, he was worse, much worse, than Fitzgerald on this point. And, as Indyanna pointed out, his "decadent" phase (post-1970?) was all about the foibles of the idle upper-middle class in the suburban Northeast. Very Cheeveresque, although without the charm.
Anyway--thanks for your comments yesterday, and this nice post.