R.I.P. - John Updike

I'd be lying if I were to say I am terribly versed in John's books. In fact, my understanding of his writing is limited to say the very least. In fact, I think I should stop reading the book I am reading and change over to one of his books out of respect for him to aquaint myself better with this fine man of letters. In highschool I got to read one of his stories for a creative writing class and have since then only on occassion read a handful of his stories. Though I have no idea which one it was. I wish I could say why this is the case. One thing I do know is he does have the tendency to write about things that are very painful in a realistic fashion without giving us the easy out to feel better about ourselves afterwards. He was the rare write who could stare lifes ugliness in the eye without blinking, even when the other side pulled a gun. If his stories don't make you feel uncomfortable and make you squirm then you are probably not human. That is probably why I do not read more of his works. I do not want to be faced with the ugly side of my own humanity. That I can be just as much the adulterer given the chance as any of his protagonists. What a terrifying idea espcially as a Christian. One thing I do know for certain is that he was forever the bridesmaid and never the bride. He was often on the short list for the Nobel Prize never having received it. What a shame.