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{{short description|1990 novel by John Updike}}
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{{Infobox book | <!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels]] or [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Books]] -->
{{all plot|date=April 2018}}
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| name = Rabbit At Rest
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{{Infobox book<!--See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels]] or [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Books]]-->
| title_orig =
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|image = Rabbit-at-Rest-cover.jpg
| translator =
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|author = [[John Updike]]
| image = Rabbit-at-Rest-cover.jpg
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|illustrator =
| caption =
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|cover_artist =
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| author = [[John Updike]]
|country = United States
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| illustrator =
|language = English
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| cover_artist =
| country = United States
|series =
| language = English
|genre = Novel
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|publisher = [[Alfred A. Knopf]]
| series =
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|release_date = 1990
| genre = Novel
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|media_type = Print (hardback & paperback)
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| publisher = [[Alfred A. Knopf]]
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|pages = 512 pp
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| release_date = 1990
|isbn = 978-0-394-58815-5
| english_release_date =
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|dewey = 813/.54 20
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| media_type = Print (hardback & paperback)
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|congress = PS3571.P4 R23 1990
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| pages = 512 pp
| isbn = 0-394-58952-1
|oclc = 907112270
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|preceded_by = [[Rabbit is Rich]]
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| dewey= 813/.54 20
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| congress= PS3571.P4 R23 1990
| oclc= 54047366
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| preceded_by = [[Rabbit is Rich]]
| followed_by =
}}
}}


'''''Rabbit at Rest''''' is a 1990 novel by [[John Updike]]. It is the fourth and final novel in a series beginning with ''[[Rabbit, Run]]''; ''[[Rabbit Redux]]''; and ''[[Rabbit is Rich]].'' There is also a related 2001 novella, ''[[Rabbit Remembered]]''. The novel won the [[Pulitzer Prize for Fiction]] in 1991, the second "Rabbit" novel to garner the award.
'''''Rabbit at Rest''''' is a 1990 novel by [[John Updike]]. It is the fourth and final novel in a tetralogy, succeeding ''[[Rabbit, Run]]''; ''[[Rabbit Redux]]''; and ''[[Rabbit Is Rich]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Meyer|first1=Dick|title=John Updike At Rest|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99944681|access-date=11 February 2020|publisher=NPR|date=28 January 2009}}</ref> A related novella, ''[[Rabbit Remembered]]'', was published in 2001. ''Rabbit at Rest'' won the [[Pulitzer Prize for Fiction]] in 1991, the second "Rabbit" novel to garner that award.


==Plot summary==
==Plot summary==
⚫
This novel is part of the series that follows the life of Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom from 1960 to 1990. ''Rabbit at Rest'' focuses on the years 1988–89. Harry, nearly 40 years after his glory days as a high school basketball star in a mid-sized [[Pennsylvania]] city, has retired with Janice, his wife of 33 years, to sunny Florida during the cold months, where Harry is depressed, dangerously overweight and desperate for reasons to keep on living.


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Unable to stop nibbling corn chips, macadamia nuts and other junk food, Rabbit nearly dies after a heart attack while sunfishing with his nine-year-old granddaughter, Judy. In a "redemption" of the drowning death of his infant daughter Rebecca in the earlier novel ''[[Rabbit, Run]]'', he saves Judy from drowning during their sunfishing afternoon.
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This novel is part of the series that follows the life of Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom from 1960 to 1990. ''Rabbit at Rest'' focuses on the years 1988-9. Harry, nearly 40 years after his glory days as a high school basketball star in a mid-sized [[Pennsylvania]] city, has retired with Janice, his wife of 33 years, to sunny Florida during the cold months, where Harry is depressed, dangerously overweight and desperate for reasons to keep on living.
⚫
He is distracted from his own existential worries by the acts of his drug-addicted son, Nelson, to whom Janice (the actual owner of the Angstroms' wealth) has given control of the family's thriving business, a Pennsylvania [[Toyota]] dealership. The discovery that Nelson has been stealing from the company to support his drug habit causes Harry to lose the family business. Despite his multiplying difficulties, Rabbit manages to take solace in the presence of Judy, whose confidence and athleticism remind him of his high-school glory days. He is less attached to his four-year-old grandson Roy, who seems wary and fearful of Rabbit, much like Nelson.


⚫
While recuperating from heart surgery, Rabbit recognizes a nurse, Annabelle Byer, as his illegitimate daughter by his old girlfriend, Ruth. He spends time with her without identifying himself as her likely father. Then, his long-term mistress, Thelma Harrison (wife of his high-school nemesis Ron), dies of [[lupus]]. Ron confronts Harry at Thelma's funeral, but the men later reconcile over golf. Harry also encounters Cindy Murkett at the funeral, a woman he had once been obsessed with, and is saddened to see she has become an obese and bitter divorcee.
⚫
Unable to stop nibbling corn chips, macadamia nuts and other junk food, Rabbit nearly dies after a heart attack while sunfishing with his nine-year-old granddaughter, Judy. In a "redemption" of the drowning death of his infant daughter Rebecca in the earlier novel ''[[Rabbit, Run]]'', he saves Judy from drowning during this incident.
⚫
He is distracted from his own existential worries by the acts of his drug-addicted son, Nelson, to whom Janice (the actual owner of the Angstroms' wealth) has given control of the family's thriving business, a Pennsylvania [[Toyota]] dealership. The discovery that Nelson has been stealing from the company to support his drug habit leads to Harry losing the family business. Despite his problems and growing unhappiness, he manages to take some comfort in Judy, who has turned out to be beautiful and charming, a reminder of himself in his high-school glory days. He is less attached to his four-year-old grandson Roy, who seems wary and fearful of Rabbit, much like Nelson.


⚫
After Nelson comes back from a treatment program, and Janice begins work as a real estate agent, the family finds out that Harry has had a one-night stand with Pru, Nelson's wife, on the night after he was released from the hospital. Janice's anger over this betrayal prompts Harry to escape to Florida. While in hiding, Harry has a heart attack shortly after winning a one-on-one basketball game with a local youth (echoing the opening of ''[[Rabbit, Run]]'' in which Harry impulsively joins a group of teenagers playing basketball). Nelson and Janice reach Harry's bedside while he is still alive. Janice forgives him for his infidelities and he reconciles with his son. His personal business now largely resolved, Rabbit dies.
⚫
While recuperating from heart surgery, Rabbit recognizes one of the nurses, Annabelle Byer, as the young woman he believes is his illegitimate daughter by his old girlfriend, Ruth. He becomes friendly with her but decides not to identify himself as her possible father. Around this time, his long-term mistress Thelma Harrison (wife of his high-school nemesis Ron) dies of [[lupus]]. Ron confronts Harry at Thelma's funeral, but the men later reconcile while playing golf. Harry also sees Cindy Murkett at the funeral, a woman he had sexually obsessed over 10 years ago, and is saddened to see she has become an obese and bitter divorcee.


==Themes==
⚫
After Nelson comes back from a treatment program, and Janice begins work as a real estate agent, the family finds out that Harry has had a one-night stand with Pru, Nelson's wife, on the night after he was released from the hospital. Janice's anger over this betrayal prompts Harry to escape to Florida. While in hiding, Harry has a heart attack shortly after winning a one-on-one basketball game with a local youth (echoing the opening of ''[[Rabbit, Run]]'' in which Harry impulsively joins a group of teenagers playing basketball). Nelson and Janice manage to get to his bedside while Harry is still alive; his wife forgives him, and he reconciles with his son. His personal business now resolved as much as possible, and therefore his life's work essentially completed, Rabbit dies.
The novel deals with the passage of time, and generational change. Harry's decline mirrors the decline of the United States which, in the period the novel is set, lacks what Harry saw as its animating purpose: the [[Cold War]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Olster|first1=Stacey|title=Rabbit Rerun: Updike's Replay of Popular Culture in "rabbit at Rest"|journal=Modern Fiction Studies|date=Spring 1991|volume=37|issue=1|pages=45–59|doi=10.1353/mfs.0.0243|jstor=26283176|s2cid=162195807}}</ref>

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==References==
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{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/04/06/lifetimes/updike-rabbitatrest.html?_r=1&oref=slogin New York Times review]
* [https://www.nytimes.com/books/97/04/06/lifetimes/updike-rabbitatrest.html?_r=1&oref=slogin ''New York Times'' review]
* [http://www.pprize.com/BookDetail.php?bk=73 Photos of the first edition of Rabbit At Rest]
* [http://www.pprize.com/BookDetail.php?bk=73 Photos of the first edition of Rabbit At Rest]

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==References==
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{{Reflist}}


{{PulitzerPrize Fiction 1976–2000}}
{{PulitzerPrize Fiction 1976–2000}}
{{John Updike}}
{{John Updike}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:20th-century American novels]]
[[Category:1990 American novels]]
[[Category:1990 American novels]]
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[[Category:Pulitzer Prize for Fiction-winning works]]
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[[Category:Novels by John Updike]]
[[Category:Alfred A. Knopf books]]
[[Category:Alfred A. Knopf books]]
[[Category:1988 in fiction]]
[[Category:English-language novels]]
[[Category:1989 in fiction]]
[[Category:Fiction set in 1988]]
[[Category:Fiction set in 1989]]
[[Category:National Book Critics Circle Award-winning works]]
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[[Category:Novels by John Updike]]
[[Category:Novels set in Pennsylvania]]
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[[Category:Pulitzer Prize for Fiction-winning works]]

Latest revision as of 09:04, 29 January 2024

Rabbit at Rest
AuthorJohn Updike
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreNovel
PublisherAlfred A. Knopf
Publication date
1990
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages512 pp
ISBN978-0-394-58815-5
OCLC907112270
813/.54 20
LC ClassPS3571.P4 R23 1990
Preceded byRabbit is Rich 

Rabbit at Rest is a 1990 novel by John Updike. It is the fourth and final novel in a tetralogy, succeeding Rabbit, Run; Rabbit Redux; and Rabbit Is Rich.[1] A related novella, Rabbit Remembered, was published in 2001. Rabbit at Rest won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1991, the second "Rabbit" novel to garner that award.

Plot summary[edit]

This novel is part of the series that follows the life of Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom from 1960 to 1990. Rabbit at Rest focuses on the years 1988–89. Harry, nearly 40 years after his glory days as a high school basketball star in a mid-sized Pennsylvania city, has retired with Janice, his wife of 33 years, to sunny Florida during the cold months, where Harry is depressed, dangerously overweight and desperate for reasons to keep on living.

Unable to stop nibbling corn chips, macadamia nuts and other junk food, Rabbit nearly dies after a heart attack while sunfishing with his nine-year-old granddaughter, Judy. In a "redemption" of the drowning death of his infant daughter Rebecca in the earlier novel Rabbit, Run, he saves Judy from drowning during their sunfishing afternoon.

He is distracted from his own existential worries by the acts of his drug-addicted son, Nelson, to whom Janice (the actual owner of the Angstroms' wealth) has given control of the family's thriving business, a Pennsylvania Toyota dealership. The discovery that Nelson has been stealing from the company to support his drug habit causes Harry to lose the family business. Despite his multiplying difficulties, Rabbit manages to take solace in the presence of Judy, whose confidence and athleticism remind him of his high-school glory days. He is less attached to his four-year-old grandson Roy, who seems wary and fearful of Rabbit, much like Nelson.

While recuperating from heart surgery, Rabbit recognizes a nurse, Annabelle Byer, as his illegitimate daughter by his old girlfriend, Ruth. He spends time with her without identifying himself as her likely father. Then, his long-term mistress, Thelma Harrison (wife of his high-school nemesis Ron), dies of lupus. Ron confronts Harry at Thelma's funeral, but the men later reconcile over golf. Harry also encounters Cindy Murkett at the funeral, a woman he had once been obsessed with, and is saddened to see she has become an obese and bitter divorcee.

After Nelson comes back from a treatment program, and Janice begins work as a real estate agent, the family finds out that Harry has had a one-night stand with Pru, Nelson's wife, on the night after he was released from the hospital. Janice's anger over this betrayal prompts Harry to escape to Florida. While in hiding, Harry has a heart attack shortly after winning a one-on-one basketball game with a local youth (echoing the opening of Rabbit, Run in which Harry impulsively joins a group of teenagers playing basketball). Nelson and Janice reach Harry's bedside while he is still alive. Janice forgives him for his infidelities and he reconciles with his son. His personal business now largely resolved, Rabbit dies.

Themes[edit]

The novel deals with the passage of time, and generational change. Harry's decline mirrors the decline of the United States which, in the period the novel is set, lacks what Harry saw as its animating purpose: the Cold War.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Meyer, Dick (28 January 2009). "John Updike At Rest". NPR. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  2. ^ Olster, Stacey (Spring 1991). "Rabbit Rerun: Updike's Replay of Popular Culture in "rabbit at Rest"". Modern Fiction Studies. 37 (1): 45–59. doi:10.1353/mfs.0.0243. JSTOR 26283176. S2CID 162195807.

External links[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Rabbit at Rest.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rabbit_at_Rest&oldid=1200349714"