Bech: A Book: Amazon.ca: John Updike: Books

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4.5 out of 5 stars (186) CDN$ 14.56

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Product Description

In this classic novel by John Updike, we return to a character as compelling and timeless as Rabbit Angstrom: the inimitable Henry Bech. Famous for his writer's block, Bech is a Jew adrift in a world of Gentiles. As he roams from one adventure to the next, he views life with a blend of wonder and cynicism that will make you laugh with delight and wince in recognition. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

"Updike's most delightful book . . . Truly entertaining."
--Harper's

"JOHN UPDIKE HAS WRITTEN HIS MOST APPEALING NOVEL."
--The Boston Sunday Globe

"BECH SUCCEEDS MARVELOUSLY. . . . One falls into the book and through it and out the other side of it as effortlessly as one might slide through a polished aluminum tube in a funhouse. . . . A deft poke at what it means to be a writer in America."
--The New York Times

"ONE OF UPDIKE'S BEST CREATIONS."
--Life
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

3.5 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)

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3.0 out of 5 stars Didn't Wear Well Over Time, Sep 5 2001

By	Eugene G. Barnes (Dunn Loring, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bech: A Book (Paperback)

Having read the well-crafted and interestingly expressed story in Bech's own voice in the latest collection of short stories, "Licks of Love", it made me want to go all the back to the original collection of Bech stories. Unfortunately, they're all told in the third person and so aren't nearly as charming. And the experiences of Bech in Communist Europe have little resonance to our time and are not terribly profound. Perhaps the later Bech output is better. This one though is a disappointment. Three stars, of course, because Updike can only be so bad...

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4.0 out of 5 stars Bech's Odyssey, April 18 2001

By	IRA Ross (HOBOKEN, NJ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bech: A Book (Paperback)

While reading Updike's novel (the "short stories" contained within are in reality semi-connected chapters in Henry Bech's literary life) I could not help thinking about the some of the best serio-comic films of Woody Allen. Like Mr. Allen's films, the book presents the angst, self-doubt, and insecurities of a Jewish writer in an often humorous manner. In Henry Bech's case, his continuing fame rests largely on the popularity of his first novel. His literary output since then contains an experimental second novel, a critically bashed third novel (whose title is often confused with the work of another more consistently successful American Jewish novelist), and miscellaneous essays and poems. What happens next when the creative juices fail to flow, you are starting to drink too much, and you are close to fifty and may be nearing a self-perceived death? Are you reduced to having a series of aborted interviews with an intrusive British reporter in which you say very little, but are neverless reduced to a figure of gossip and derision in thereporter's ensuing article. I felt myself laughing, while suffering along with Bech, in his tenuous affairs with women, and in his "less than heady" experiment with marijuana with a 1960's college-type, who Bech suspects has run off to tryst with his then-mistress. We follow Bech travelling at the behest of his publisher to several Soviet bloc countries where Bech experiences a series of comedies of errors, annoyances, and misunderstandings on his and his hosts' side. A highly recommended book.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Side-splitting humor! A great read!, Nov 18 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Bech: A Book (Paperback)

I'm a little disappointed by the poor reviews below. This is classified as one of Updike's short stories (check out his list of publications in the front) and as such is not a serious novel. I have read plenty of his other works and no, this does not have the character depth or serious plot of the Rabbit series or his other books. It is what it is: a very funny collection of stories about Henry Bech, an overweight 50'ish Jewish writer (there's some very good Jewish humor sprinkled throughout) currently suffering from writer's block. He travels throughout the book; each chapter to a different place (The Soviet Union, the New England beach, a women's college in the Southern USA). Women find Bech fascinating and he seduces several during the story (leading to some very funny scenes). There's several Updike themes I found in his other books that make their way into "Bech", but they are written to be humorous rather than serious (wife/mistress swapping, recreational drug use, worries about death/old age). Updike's prose, as usual, is unbelieveably well written and makes the book worth reading by itself. My advice is, try this book, don't take it seriously, and have a good laugh. You may not want this to be your first Updike book; if you've never read him before I'd suggest starting with "Rabbit, Run" and working your way through that 4-book series.

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Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars bech if you have nothing else to read
It was a tiresome book. The chariter of Bech had no depth. His world was bland as he was. This was my first Updike book and it was a big dissapointment. Read more

Published on Mar 25 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars Bech is a beautiful book
Bech: A Book was a great group of stories.Updike mixes humor with highly emotional moments and philosophical ones. I'm looking forward to reading all his other Bech stories. Read more

Published on Mar 24 1999

2.0 out of 5 stars Bech: A Bore
While not the worst book I have ever read, certainly not noteworthy. Bech is a depressing character and Updike didn't give me any reason to care what happens to the character... Read more

Published on Jan 22 1999