100% NZ-owned | All books ship from NZ 📚

Rabbit, Run

3.59 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 61,835 ratings, 4,254 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Rabbit, Run by John Updike follows Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, a former high school basketball star who feels trapped in a mundane suburban life. Dissatisfied with his marriage and job, Rabbit impulsively decides to flee in search of freedom and meaning. The novel explores themes of domestic discontent and existential crisis, highlighting Rabbit's struggle with responsibility versus desire for self-fulfilment.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2999
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're intrigued by complex characters and existential dilemmas. It delves into the life of a young man seeking freedom in the face of societal and personal constraints, offering a blend of introspection and vivid narrative. Fans of rich, character-driven stories with a sharp eye on 1960s America will find this novel compelling.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Rabbit, Run

It's 1959 and Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom, one time high school sports superstar, is going nowhere. At twenty-six he is trapped in a second-rate existence - stuck with a fragile, alcoholic wife, a house full of overflowing ashtrays and discarded glasses, a young son and a futile job.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Rabbit, Run marks its first time in Modern Classics.

It's 1959 and Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom, once a high school sports superstar, finds himself going nowhere. At twenty-six, he is trapped in a second-rate existence—stuck with a fragile, alcoholic wife, a house full of overflowing ashtrays and discarded glasses, a young son, and a futile job.

With no way to fix things, he resolves to flee from his family and his home in Pennsylvania, embarking on a thousand-mile journey that he hopes will liberate him from his mediocre life. Because, as he knows all too well, "after you've been first-rate at something, no matter what, it kind of takes the kick out of being second-rate".

Series: Penguin Modern Classics

View all

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Rabbit, Run by John Updike is often praised for its vivid prose and keen insight into the complexities of mid-20th-century American life. Reviews typically highlight the main character, Rabbit Angstrom, as a deeply flawed yet compelling figure whose struggles with freedom and responsibilities reflect broader societal tensions. Updike's brilliant use of language and detailed depiction of small-town America are noted as significant strengths, even as the protagonist's moral ambiguities provoke varied responses from readers.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141187839

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 June 2006

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 17.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 219g

Pages: 288

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)

About the Author

John Updike was born in 1932 in Shillington, Pennsylvania. He is the author of over fifty books, including The Poorhouse Fair; the Rabbit series (Rabbit, Run; Rabbit Redux; Rabbit Is Rich; Rabbit At Rest); Marry Me; The Witches of Eastwick, which was made into a major feature film; Memories of the Ford Administration; Brazil; In the Beauty of the Lilies; Toward the End of Time; Gertrude and Claudius; and Seek My Face. He has written a number of collections of short stories, including The Afterlife and Other Stories and Licks of Love, which includes a final Rabbit story, Rabbit Remembered. His essays and criticism first appeared in publications such as the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books, and are now collected into numerous volumes. Collected Poems 1953-1993 brings together almost all of his verse, and a new edition of his Selected Poems is forthcoming from Hamish Hamilton. His novels, stories, and non-fiction collections have won have won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award, the American Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Rosenthal Award and the Howells Medal. Updike graduated from Harvard College in 1954, and spent a year at Oxford's Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art. From 1955 to 1957 he was a member of staff at the New Yorker, and he lived in Massachusetts from 1957 until his death in January 2009.

Also by John Updike

View all

More from General Fiction

View all

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent specialist on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our cozy 200m2 warehouse in Auckland holds over 10,000 books in-stock so you're not waiting for books to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Pick Ups

Auckland Pick Ups

We're an online-only store but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Reviews from our customers