Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
Innecesariamente confuso, osea no es porque fuera necesario para la historia sino por simple capricho propio, podria habrme saltado la mitad del libro y aun asi no me hubiera perdido nada.
In this modern retelling of ancient Greek myth (à la Joyce's Ulysses) Updike presents us with the famed myth of Chiron, the centaur. Set in late-40s small town America we have the stories of George Caldwell, a teacher in his 50s, and his son Peter, 15 years old and laden with psoriasis. The father's and son's narratives switch every second chapter with the father's narrative being in the third-person and the son's in first-person.
The narratives that we are presented with can be read as coming-of-age stories. The son coming of age and facing the harsh reality of life and the father coming of age and facing the harsh reality of death. Updike weaves both lives seamlessly which demonstrates his deftness with prose. Not once was I bored with this novel. It harks back to the stories of the time from Salinger and Isherwood and the like. Readers with a penchant for Greek mythology and stories of post-war America will thoroughly enjoy this novel, as I did.
The narratives that we are presented with can be read as coming-of-age stories. The son coming of age and facing the harsh reality of life and the father coming of age and facing the harsh reality of death. Updike weaves both lives seamlessly which demonstrates his deftness with prose. Not once was I bored with this novel. It harks back to the stories of the time from Salinger and Isherwood and the like. Readers with a penchant for Greek mythology and stories of post-war America will thoroughly enjoy this novel, as I did.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
overly-sexualized women, women as accessories for sex and mens' happiness
The shortest and mildest of Updike's novels that I've read, yet still very deep and introspective.
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Updike's Centaur is an exploration in storytelling and stylistic variation. The author winds the myth of Chiron's hardships into a tale of stunted-Pennsylvania dreams. The novel moves quickly and at times the centaur is school teacher George Caldwell, other times he is noble and defeated Chiron and still others he is both. The movement of the main character and other at times mythological character makes the novel challenging to read, but rewarding at the same time.
странная сложная вещь, проблескивает миф через депрессивную канву
slow-paced
This is the story of George Caldwell - an aging, self-deprecating teacher whom everyone seems to love except George himself. It is also about his relationship with his son, Peter. The two end up spending three days in town when their car breaks down and then there is a blizzard, each stranding them for a night. The book also compares nearly every character to a character from Greek mythology, though only the main ones (George is Chiron the centaur, his son is Prometheus) overtly. We also see through the son's eyes for part - his thoughts on his father and family, his psoriasis, his girlfriend Penny.
Themes: mythology, father-son relationship, sacrificing for family, science, growing up
I loved many of the details. Updike is amazing at describing things in extremely unique ways that make images extra vivid. He describes things the way I really think they look, but never would have realized. I enjoyed the story itself more than the mythological references - I actually didn't bother to figure most of them out, despite having the index. The parts featuring George as centaur were still interesting, though I wasn't sure what was really happening (did he really get shot through the ankle?). This was an enjoyable read.
Themes: mythology, father-son relationship, sacrificing for family, science, growing up
I loved many of the details. Updike is amazing at describing things in extremely unique ways that make images extra vivid. He describes things the way I really think they look, but never would have realized. I enjoyed the story itself more than the mythological references - I actually didn't bother to figure most of them out, despite having the index. The parts featuring George as centaur were still interesting, though I wasn't sure what was really happening (did he really get shot through the ankle?). This was an enjoyable read.
This little book was, at first, difficult to get into. I am not up on my Greek myth, and Updike relies heavily upon Greek myth, but he does not leave the in the dark reader that in the dark. And though Zeus is the only god to be worshiped, simply because he is a god, the book at the same time is oddly Christian, questioning the meaning of life. Not an easy topic to cover in a few hundred pages, but Updike managed.