This week I'm starting John Updike's Rabbit Is Rich. I've read some Updike in the past, but mostly his short fiction and essays – this will only be the second of his novels I've attempted. I'm reading this one for the Battle of the Prizes Challenge – the book won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize in 1982. I've always liked Updike's writing style, but I've never really been able to get interested in the "Rabbit" books in the past, so I'm not sure how I'll feel about this one; but I'm determined to stick with it.This fairly long snippet comes from page 285 – I know it's more than two lines, but I couldn't decide just where to cut.
He has an urge to look into the medicine cabinet framed by the rim of showbiz bulbs and waits until a gale of laughter from the drunken bunch in the living room arises to drown out any possible click of him opening the mirror-door. Click. The cabinet has more in it than he would have supposed: thick milk-glass jars of skin cream and flesh-tint squeeze bottles of lotion and brown tubes of suntan lotion, Parepectolin for diarrhea, Debrox for ear wax control, menthol Chloraseptic, that mouthwash called Cepacol, several kinds of aspirin, both Bayer and Anacin, and Tylenol that doesn't make your stomach burn, and a large chalky bottle of Maalox. He wonders which of the Murketts needs Maalox, they both always look so relaxed and at peace.Naughty, naughty! Of course, I've never snooped through anyone's medicine cabinet. Honest. And I'm sure you haven't, either – right?
Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by mizB17 at Should Be Reading. If you'd like to read more teasers, or participate yourself, head on over to her blog. And these are the rules: Grab your current read; Let the book fall open to a random page. Share with us two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. You also need to share the title of the book that you're getting your "teaser" from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given! Please avoid spoilers!
Actually, I never have, but since I've heard that others do, I always make sure that mine is neat before company comes!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with this one. Have never read a Rabbit all the way through. Imagine reading this sort of detail all the way through! Great tease!
ReplyDeleteLiked that description. Interesting!
ReplyDeleteTuesdays: Teaser/Whereabouts
Kill Word Verification
That's a GREAT teaser! I'll admit it - I'm a total snooper (so if I come to visit you, make sure you hide anything you don't want seen :)
ReplyDeleteCheck out my teaser here.
That's a great teaser...I guess I don't really think of snooping myself, but maybe I will now! lol
ReplyDeleteI admire your resolve to complete this book. Good luck to you.
ReplyDeleteI've never read Updike but I really need to. I have WITCHES OF EASTWICK sitting around somewhere. Shame on me he's such an important writer! :-)
ReplyDeleteI have yet to read anything by Updike. I'm sorry, but that teaser doesn't exactly make me want to run out and grab it, either.
ReplyDeleteI do snoop in medicine cabinets, though. Only occasionally.
More proof, if any was needed, that Updike was one of the nosiest people or writers ever, and it all finds its way into his books.
ReplyDeleteInteresting teaser. You can read my teaser here.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit when I was younger I snooped through my aunt and uncles cabinets. But I never found anything interesting. Pretty awesome teaser :)
ReplyDelete-Jess
Great Tease, I have never read any of the Rabbit books. Not sure I will but this was a good little tease.
ReplyDeleteHere is mine:
http://wordsmithonia.blogspot.com/2009/08/teaser-tuesdays_11.html
And this is the reason that you should always organize your medicine cabinet (and closets) before a party...
ReplyDeleteGreat teaser!
You can check out mine here.
I suppose you can really tell how a person really is by looking through their medicine cabinet. Not that I ever would. I would keep looking at them, wondering who is using parepectolin for diarrhea. :p
ReplyDeleteGreat teaser
~ Popin
Great teaser - I love Updike!
ReplyDeleteLOL - I love the comment about the Maalox!
ReplyDeleteGreat teaser! I've never read this...it sounds entertaining.
ReplyDeleteGood teaser, if a little...detailed. I know it's good for the mind to push and extend it, though I'm sure it's not always easy to plow through some of the more detailed writers. But good for you, for working at this!
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, my own teaser is at Bookishgal.
LOL That was fun! I am going to stay away from the whole med cabinet thing. ;)
ReplyDeleteNow I know why we don't have a medicine cabinet in the bathroom! Never read any Updike must give it a try!
ReplyDeleteUpdike is definitely one of my favorites. The Rabbit books were transforming for me -- they changed my outlook.
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