--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [About John Updike's Rabbit Run] The…" description: "\"“[About John Updike's Rabbit Run] The author fails to convince us that his puppets are interesting in themselves, or that their plight has implications..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fa/chicago-tribune-227531_bad-reviews_about-john-updike-s-rabbit-run-the-autho_1164602.jpg" --- # \[About John Updike's Rabbit Run\] The author fails to… ![“[About John Updike's Rabbit Run] The author fails to convince us that his puppets are interesting in themselves, or that their plight has implications that transcend their narrow world.” quote by Chicago Tribune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fa/chicago-tribune-227531_bad-reviews_about-john-updike-s-rabbit-run-the-autho_1164602.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fa/chicago-tribune-227531_bad-reviews_about-john-updike-s-rabbit-run-the-autho_1164602.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fa/chicago-tribune-227531_bad-reviews_about-john-updike-s-rabbit-run-the-autho_1164602.jpg) > ““\[About John Updike's Rabbit Run\] The author fails to convince us that his puppets are interesting in themselves, or that their plight has implications that transcend their narrow world.”” Chicago Tribune ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The review criticizes the author’s failure to make secondary characters compelling or their story universally relevant. **In simple terms:** The book’s characters feel flat and the plot limited. Key Takeaway Seek stories with deeper characters and broader relevance. Themes literature criticism character development story relevance authorial skill Mood critical analytical neutral Type review critique analysis When to use this quote - book clubs - reading groups - author interviews - writing workshops - literary analysis Key Concepts fiction analysis narrative depth reader engagement critical review Questions to Reflect On - How important are strong side characters to you? - Can a narrow focus still be powerful? A Different Perspective Subjectivity may affect interpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad reviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-reviews/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Great books are readable anyway. Dickens is readable. Jane Austen is readable. John Updike's readable. Hawthorne's readable. It's a meaningless term. 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The idea was to celebrate the fact that, although it's rare, Harvard men and women do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/in-1995-i-proposed-the-harvard-arts-medal-the-idea-was-to-celebrate/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [Incidentally, I am honorary president of the American Humanist Association, having succeeded the great science fiction writer and biochemist Dr. Isaac Asimov. John Updike,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/incidentally-i-am-honorary-president-of-the-american-humanist/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“One recalls John Updike’s argument: the only evidence for the existence of God is the collective human yearning that it should be so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/one-recalls-john-updike-s-argument-the-only-evidence-for-the/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [I read Lorrie Moore and Marilynne Robinson and Jhumpa Lahiri and Richard Ford, John Updike, Anton Chekhov, Vladimir Nabokov - all of whom I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/i-read-lorrie-moore-and-marilynne-robinson-and-jhumpa-lahiri-and/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [I kissed John Updike as he presented me with an award. It wasn't the best kiss as far as kisses go, but I hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/i-kissed-john-updike-as-he-presented-me-with-an-award-it-wasn-t-the/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“Narratives about certain experiences are somehow legitimized when mediated through a man’s perspective. Consider the work of John Updike or Richard Yates. Most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/narratives-about-certain-experiences-are-somehow-legitimized-when/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [Neutrinos alone, among all the known particles, have ethereal properties that are striking and romantic enough both to have inspired a poem by John…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/neutrinos-alone-among-all-the-known-particles-have-ethereal/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [There's something in every atheist, itching to believe, and something in every believer, itching to doubt. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966 Religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-s-something-in-every-atheist-itching-to-believe-and-something/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [If writing is language and language is desire and longing and suffering . . . then why when we write, when we make shapes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-maso/if-writing-is-language-and-language-is-desire-and-longing-and/) [Carole Maso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-maso/) > [“The Sometime Sportsman Greets the Spring by John Updike When winter's glaze is lifted from the greens, And cups are freshly cut, and birdies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-sometime-sportsman-greets-the-spring-by-john-updike-when-winter-s/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“I had worked for a newspaper of sorts, word got around, and I became editor of our local school newspaper, The Drum. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/i-had-worked-for-a-newspaper-of-sorts-word-got-around-and-i-became/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I once saw John Updike get in front of a crowd and read a story that he'd written in 1958, and I just thought,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/i-once-saw-john-updike-get-in-front-of-a-crowd-and-read-a-story-that/) [Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/) > [“For years we had the persistent sensation in our life and art - John Updike's phrase - that we were just beginning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/for-years-we-had-the-persistent-sensation-in-our-life-and-art-john/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) ## More Bad reviews quotes > [To me, I read good reviews in lots of papers and bad reviews in lots of papers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-nevins/to-me-i-read-good-reviews-in-lots-of-papers-and-bad-reviews-in-lots/) [Sheila Nevins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-nevins/) > [I've never worked for a newspaper. I've had some very bad reviews in newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/i-ve-never-worked-for-a-newspaper-i-ve-had-some-very-bad-reviews-in/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [I think you remember certain phrases from bad reviews. You don't remember all the bad reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-think-you-remember-certain-phrases-from-bad-reviews-you-don-t/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [One bad review doesn't ruin my day because I realize what a badge of honor it is to get a bit of criticism at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/one-bad-review-doesn-t-ruin-my-day-because-i-realize-what-a-badge-of/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [ “\[Leaves of Grass is\] monstrous because it pretends to persuade the soul while it slights the intellect; because it pretends to gratify the feelings… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/leaves-of-grass-is-monstrous-because-it-pretends-to-persuade-the-soul/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [The funny thing is that some reviews are published in magazines and websites that are seen by millions of people, and other reviews are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-lewis/the-funny-thing-is-that-some-reviews-are-published-in-magazines-and/) [Jeffrey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-lewis/) > [ “\[Ulysses\] appears to have been written by a perverted lunatic who has made a speciality of the literature of the latrine… I have no… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aramis/ulysses-appears-to-have-been-written-by-a-perverted-lunatic-who-has/) Aramis > [Life is stranger than fiction. 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I could read a bad review and remember it my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/i-was-very-vulnerable-to-criticism-for-many-years-i-could-read-a-bad/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The critics gave me bad reviews on every movie I made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-needham/the-critics-gave-me-bad-reviews-on-every-movie-i-made/) [Hal Needham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-needham/) > [If I get a bad review, I dont take it personally because everyone is entitled to their opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-gates/if-i-get-a-bad-review-i-dont-take-it-personally-because-everyone-is/) [Gareth Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-gates/) > [“Mr. Melville is evidently trying to ascertain how far the public will consent to be imposed upon. He is gauging, at once, our gullibilty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-o-sullivan/mr-melville-is-evidently-trying-to-ascertain-how-far-the-public-will/) John L. O'Sullivan > [Bad reviews come with everything. I've been getting them my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-friedle/bad-reviews-come-with-everything-i-ve-been-getting-them-my-whole-life/) [Will Friedle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-friedle/) > [“He writes the worst English that I have ever encountered. It reminds me of a string of wet sponges; it reminds me of tattered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/he-writes-the-worst-english-that-i-have-ever-encountered-it-reminds/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [When you are one of the best coaches in the world, it is normal to attract bad reviews if you lose a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ander-herrera/when-you-are-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-it-is-normal-to/) [Ander Herrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ander-herrera/) [Browse all 95 Bad reviews quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-reviews/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“[About John Updike's Rabbit Run] The author fails to convince us that his puppets are interesting in themselves, or that their plight has implications that transcend their narrow world.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chicago Tribune" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chicago-tribune/about-john-updike-s-rabbit-run-the-author-fails-to-convince-us-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad reviews" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chicago-tribune/about-john-updike-s-rabbit-run-the-author-fails-to-convince-us-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fa/chicago-tribune-227531_bad-reviews_about-john-updike-s-rabbit-run-the-autho_1164602.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fa/chicago-tribune-227531_bad-reviews_about-john-updike-s-rabbit-run-the-autho_1164602.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fa/chicago-tribune-227531_bad-reviews_about-john-updike-s-rabbit-run-the-autho_1164602.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[About John Updike's Rabbit Run] The author fails to convince us that his puppets are interesting in…” — Chicago Tribune", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chicago Tribune", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chicago-tribune/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“[About John Updike's Rabbit Run] The...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chicago-tribune/about-john-updike-s-rabbit-run-the-author-fails-to-convince-us-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chicago-tribune/about-john-updike-s-rabbit-run-the-author-fails-to-convince-us-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```