Friends from Philadelphia

by John Updike

These John Updike short stories include "Friends from Philadelphia", "Sunday Teasing", "The Persistence of Desire", "The Other Woman" and "Brother Grasshopper".

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, 20th Century

85 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1995

About the author

John Hoyer Updike was an American writer. Updike's most famous work is his Rabbit series (Rabbit, Run; Rabbit Redux; Rabbit Is Rich; Rabbit At Rest; and Rabbit Remembered). Rabbit is Rich and Rabbit at Rest both won Pulitzer Prizes for Updike. Describing his subject as "the American small town, Protestant middle class," Updike is well known for his careful craftsmanship and prolific writing, having published 22 novels and more than a dozen short story collections as well as poetry, literary criticism and children's books. Hundreds of his stories, reviews, and poems have appeared in The New Yorker since the 1950s. His works often explore sex, faith, and death, and their inter-relationships.

He died of lung cancer at age 76.

Reviews

[Daren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Five short stories taken from the authors various publications, here in a Penguin 60.

The stories are all loosely themed around relationships, and for me they weren't very captivating. I find with some short stories, and three of the five here fell this way - they seemed like only a part of a larger story. They were not formed in a conventional way - introduce the characters / situation / etc - evolve the story / situation - end the story with resolution of the situation or development of the characters. They just seem a part of a story sequence.

There was one of the five I enjoyed, which described the evolution of the relationships around a central character (with his wife, with his wifes sister, and with his brother-in-law) from college to old age. That story was 4/5 stars.

There was another about a husband who finds out his wife is having an affair, and the devolution of their relationship which was a 3/5 stars.

Unfortunately the others were scraping in at 2/5.

So overall between 2 and 3 stars, rounded down.

[Rebeka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Friends from Philadelphia: 2/5
Sunday Teasing: 3/5 only because it was better than the first one
The Persistence of Desire: 4/5 way better than the previous two
The Other Woman: 4/5 but very predictable
Brother Grasshopper: 3/5

[Emma Anbeek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely read short stories as I get separation anxiety and don’t want to get too attached to the characters. But Updike manages to squeeze a whole novel into a short story. They’re so good. Even when most stories contain a narcissistic man whose behaviour is appalling. Will definitely read more of him soon. Any recommendations from Updike fans?

[Antonis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories about post-war American middle-class; at the first they seem awkward and dull, but the more you read the more they get under your skin. John Updike surely know his prose.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short, short stories that expertly capture the foibles, murderous tendencies, and all round psychological oddities of every day people. As you would expect from this author, all extremely well written: 5 stars for competence. This just isn't my genre, so I read them with stunned naivete instead of delighted enjoyment which they undoubtedly deserve.

[Heather Ashington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful discovery. His stories have you feeling as though you are voyeuristicly eavesdropping in the living rooms of suburban 50's America. Reminiscent of Joan Didion - the beat generation from inside the home as opposed to on the streets. Fabulous writing.

[Bill Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five sharply observed stories from the 50s to the 90s opening windows onto people and their lives.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although most of the stories in this are redolent of the exciting thrill of some affair just started, or about to - an Updike constant, read Couples [1968], do! - or the strangeness of ending, you grudgingly forget the betrayals in the light of some deeper wisdom which seeps out of every phrase and adjective he uses. This man can write the socks off a story, and sell them to you again and again in a dozen different colours - and although you feel that they're the same socks each time, he brings something phenomenally rich and unique to each tale that feels like the slap in the face of sheer wonder!

Sunday Teasing is the gentlest of the pieces; it gets in between the little folds of knowing that exist in an established relationship and uncovers all those subtle foibles between people that, cumulatively, define their relationship, their intimacy. Friends From Philadelphia is gentle too, yet there's that insouciant sexually simmering underneath all the while. This is developed in The Persistence Of Desire, a sort of Rabbit arrogance to it, yet just within bearable (where Rabbit, Run [1960], anyway, was not).

The Other Woman - although I didn’t like the story of socially acceptable betrayal - to all except the other woman - and I liked Ed, our main character, a cowardly hypocrite, even less, Updike's writing and perception and expression of little things - like the offended angel of the snow's brilliance - is quite unseating. Written in 1985, I thought it might be a prelude to Couples - but that was 1968 - and where he used this very theme to create what I consider to be his best novel (having only suffered one other, the first Rabbit nonsense), where he does the communal suburb infidelity thing so brilliantly, you have to read it at least twice in your life.

Brother Grasshopper - My God! this is good. It is as real as any relationship you've known, of those very few seriously best friends you've had over the decades. Fred's brother-in-law, Carlyle, becomes something you view through slightly incredulous eyes to someone you couldn't ever part with in life, even after they'd gone. If you have one friend in life like him, you're blessed. Slow to take, I loved it.

My God! This man's a great writer!

[Coenraad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another deeply enjoyable introduction to a writer that I knew about but have not yet read anything by. Updike excels in the five stories included here in depicting relationships, whether it be adolescent interest, marital playfulness, infidelity or the relationship between brothers-in-law who could have been siblings. The characters and their lives are keenly observed and meticulously drawn in a loose and comfortable, easily readable style.

Updike se uitbeelding van verhoudings steun op fyn waarneming en baie presiese verwoording; tog is die styl gemaklik en leesbaar. Al kom dit eenvoudig voor, verklap sy prosa die dieptes wat in die karakters te vinde is. 'n Meesterlike woordkunstenaar is hier aan die werk.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice compilation of Updike short stories. The writing is descriptive, the characters feel like real people, and what would be normal, day-to-day mundane events receive special treatment. A very nice, very quick read.

[Semir Ahmetbasic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good collection of 5 short but really interesting and exciting storys that happaned around 80's! Every story makes you want more and you'll get a pretty good amount of drama from all of them!