John Updike The Poorhouse Fair

Updike's first novel is in 3 parts. Just finished part 1 and begun 2. Still struck by how unusual Poorhouse is as a first novel - the odd and quiet theme and the elderly and impoverished characters. Toward end of part one the first young character introduced - the guy delivering soft drinks to the fair - hoping to get the job done quickly so he can go see his girlfriend in Newark - and he has a memory of her stripping for him in back seat of his car - he gets a glimpse of her pubic hair and we get a glimpse of the writer U was soon to become. It's as if this character was an early incarnation of Rabbit. Interesting that U set Poorhouse in NJ, about which he seems to know little - his references to Newark feel fake and tepid compared w Roth - and that the Pa of brewer of the Rabbit novels is visible just across the Delaware - as if U could see the territory he was meant to explore but he wasn't ready to go there just yet.

Sent from my iPhone