Quote of the Day: Henry James

In "The Art of Fiction" Henry James writes, "Nothing, of course, will ever take the place of the good old fashion of "liking" a work of art or not liking it; the more improved criticism will not abolish that primitive, that ultimate, test." John Updike's novel Couples definitely passed this primitive test for me. I've been going through a bit of an Updike kick since he died a few weeks ago. With his passing, it looks like Philip Roth is now the last remaining giant of post-World War Two American literature.


I was first exposed to John Updike back in one of my creative writing classes in college when I was assigned his famous short story "A & P." I still remember what one of my classmates said while we were discussing the story. "I'm really impressed with this story. I've always stayed away from him because all that suburban adultery stuff bores me to death." That actually turned out to be a fairly accurate description of his fiction even if it is a reductive one. Updike was known for being a very religious person who wrote about people doing terrible things to each other in a very elaborate prose style that could even be called purple at times.


Couples follows the love lives of multiple sets of couples who live in the Massachusetts suburb of Tarbox. Maybe it's because it takes place in the swingin' 60's but there was a lot of adultery. The only man who doesn't cheat on his wife was the very boring and very Catholic Matt Gallagher. Most of the other characters are the kind of nice liberal secular people one would expect to find living in Boston. The only conservative religious character is Piet Hanema who has no problem cheating on his wife with three different women. The only difference between him and the other characters is that he feels bad about it. The funny thing about religion in Updike's books is that it usually doesn't make people better, it just makes them more complicated. Life is a lot harder for believers but the one thing that redeems his novels is that religion is ultimately seen as a necessary and worthwhile force that gives meaning to otherwise meaningless lives.


Updike is really writing about man's search for meaning when he writes about adultery. He explores this theme using his ornate prose style that can actually get a little tiresome after a while. He uses it to great effect most of the time though. John Updike doesn't hate the suburbs like some American writers I could name. He sees it as a world full of wonder, love, and meaning. He describes everything down to the smallest detail with great love and care because the world is really an incredible creation. The episode where Piet obsesses about death is a great example as is the part where he wanders alone along the beach after his separation. Updike is not at all ashamed to describe how God's love feels to a believer. I am still not sure what to make of the last part where the Episcopal Church was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Regardless of what the fixed meaning is, God is very much a real presence in the novel.


The novel was very much worth reading because it concerned itself with how humans struggle to find meaning and God in a world that obscures both of those things from our vision way too often. Maybe I liked it too because it made me relieved that I'm not married. It certainly doesn't sound like very much fun. Having an affair also sounds like it's more hassle than it's worth.




In other news, I finished the TV series "The Wire" which I will have more thoughts on later in the week.