Review by Choice Review
De Bellis (John Updike: A Bibliography, 1967-1993, CH, Jan'95) offers a detailed encyclopedia on Updike's life and work. Arranged alphabetically, entries provide information about plots, characters, biography, literary and historical allusions, and sources and influences. They range from brief identifications (Barbarella, Catullus, the Lone Ranger, Francis Gary Powers) to essays of several pages devoted to major themes including death, drugs, homosexuality, and religion. All entries are examined specifically in terms of their role in Updike's work; the entry on Jack Kerouac, for instance, discusses Updike's reaction to the Beat novelist while providing an illuminating comparison of each author's use of the road as symbol. Many entries include further bibliographical references. Generous provision of cross-references enhances the book's usefulness, especially for undergraduates. On the other hand, the decision to use abbreviations rather than full titles in entries to refer to Updike's works will require that less knowledgeable readers refer continually to the abbreviations key at the front. Chronological list of Updike's works; list of films and film personalities; detailed chronology of Updike's life. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries. W. M. Gargan; Brooklyn College, CUNY
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
In entries arranged alphabetically from Abortion (a topic often found in Updike's writings) to Zimmerman, Louis, a character in the story "C," De Bellis provides a comprehensive survey of Updike's works and their connections to such subjects as art, science, religion, and history. The encyclopedia provides the readers with information regarding plots, characters, themes, references, key ideas, and influences. Front matter includes a chronology of Updike's life and works from 1932 until 2000. Entries vary in length from a few sentences to three or four pages; among examples of the longer entries are Bech: A Book and Harvard University. Each entry for a work presents a summary and a brief description of its major ideas, with emphasis given to most-current works, as they are more likely to lack critical attention at this point in time. Inclusion of references, quotations, allusions, and minor characters is limited to those that provide the reader with a deeper understanding of Updike's writings. Cross-references aid navigation. Most entries conclude with lists of sources, and a "General Bibliography" lists books, articles, and book chapters. Two appendixes follow the entries: one a chronological list of Updike's works, the other a list of films and film personalities alluded to in the works. This volume would be an excellent addition to any academic library or large public library where Updike's works are studied.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
John Updike is generally regarded as one of the leading writers of his generation, so it may well be that, already, a massive encyclopedic tome on him is appropriate. De Bellis, the author of several scholarly articles on Updike as well as John Updike: A Bibliography, 1967-1993 (with a foreword by Updike himself), offers this alphabetically arranged encyclopedia. He includes articles on novels, stories, characters, themes, things such as golf and the automobile in Updike, and references made by Updike in his writings. The references include the likes of the Andrew Sisters, who are mentioned in Roger's Version, and the Queen of Sheba, mentioned in "Leaf Season." The descriptive entries are informative, and many include a short bibliography. Appendixes include a chronological list of Updike's works and a list of films and film personalities mentioned in Updike's writings. Unique and well done, this source is recommended for libraries serving users likely to be researching Updike.DPeter Dollard, Alma Coll. Lib., MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Library Journal Review
