Review by m34d0www - The Witches of Eastwick

m34d0www 's review for:

The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike

3.0

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Uh, for a book written to quell his "feminist detractors," I can't be sure if Updike's intention wasn't to piss them off even more. The witches of Eastwick are complicated, sure, but not for any profound reason. They operate on instinct, and are usually just as perplexed by their actions as the reader. Jane is the only one of the main trio whose actions align with her words...and she is horrendous. Truthfully, they all are.

And the worst part is, up until the first visit to Toad Hall, I actually liked them. Then, it was like watching a car crash in slow motion as they devolve into their worst selves. Updike's prose is beautiful even when it is uncomfortable and I will say this, he sure excels at writing books that launch themselves into your noggin and sit there forever. The plot starts off slowly, but by the end I was impressed by how much happened in such a short book.

Still not 100% on how Updike feels about women, but after this read, I'm leaning towards him not liking them very much.

Prose: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 1/5

Content Warnings