Rabbit Is Rich
John Updike · 1932–2009 · United States
Why it matters
Harry Angstrom, now a prosperous Toyota dealer in late-1970s stagflation, coasts through affluence and creeping mortality with the same restless hunger that once made him run. The third Rabbit novel won Updike his first Pulitzer and National Book Award together.
At a glance
psychological novel
Difficulty 5/10medium pace467 pagesDense, sensuous prose continues Updike's richly detailed suburban interiority.
Deep dive
Harry Angstrom finally gets rich just as the country runs out of gas, and discovers that arrival feels a lot like standing still.
