Adam Begley

UPDIKE. Just the name conjures up countless hours of reading enjoyment I've had in my life. I first 'discovered' John Updike in 1967, when I picked a paperback of RABBIT, RUN off a rack in the SBX bookstore at CMU. I've been reading him off and on ever since and have probably read at least three dozen of his books, some more than once. In his fifty-plus years of writing, Updike published over sixty books, both fiction and non-fiction, and some poetry as well. So of course I wanted to read show more about his life, and Adam Begley has captured the man and writer in the most erudite and even-handed manner possible. And Updike was certainly no saint, which is made very clear. Begley makes no bones about the fact that much of his fiction was drawn from his own life. Yes, Updike reveled in the sexual revolution of the sities, and was a serial philanderer and adulterer. Read COUPLES (1969), his breakthrough bestseller, and you will know all about the middle years of his first marriage, the hedonistic Ipswich era. Plenty here too about the man's nearly lifelong connections with The New Yorker. And there were the RABBIT books, and all the Olinger stories, reflecting his PA boyhood and adolescence in Shillington and Plowville. And the Maples stories. And on and on. The last Updike book I read was TERRORIST, something of a departure for him, but nonetheless chilling and, as always, beautifully written. Begley writes about all of these and more, and I felt like I was reading about an old friend revealed, warts and all. And the final chapter, about Updike's final illness and death, made me want to weep. I am so grateful to Adam Begley for all the time he spent writing this book. I loved it. (And, btw, Adam's father is Louis Begley, renowned author of the SCHMIDT novels and other books, something I only realized in reading the Acknowledgements page, although Adam had mentioned very briefly early in the book that Updike had known his father at Harvard.) My very highest recommendation, especially if you were/are an Updike fan.

- Tim Bazzett author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER show less

John Updike is one of my favourite authors, and this is a BRILLIANT biography. Begley intertwines Updike's work with his writing- the level of autobiography in his every novel, poem and short story is brought out vividly, as Begley takes us through his life. From a happy childhood in Shillington, Pennsylvania, child of a not particularly successful teacher father ("The Centaur" !) and an ambitious, literary mother who relocates her family to a rural location ("The Centaur" again!); his time show more in Harvard, marriage, time in UK, working on the New Yorker ("Bech"!), kids, a rampant social life and yet a solid religious conviction ("Couples" !) As divorce, a broken family, remarriage and old age confront Updike, we again see echoes in the "Rabbit" tetralogy . Of course, I've only read a few of his many works and there are a vast amount of other works which Begley introduces us to, and through which I felt I gained a fair insight into the genial and hugely intelligent Updike.

As remarked on by another reviewer, we do feel a lack of vision into Updike's second marriage; his second wife didn't involve herself in this work (unlike his first ) and it shows.
But overall a truly excellent, erudite but uttely readable work. show less

When we in the 21st Century think about photography, we tend to think of a "great picture" the way we might think about a "great apartment": more for its functionality than its beauty. It may be beautiful, but we really appreciate it for what it can show us. So too, in the case of a photograph: the subject matter is what matters, most of the time. So it's hard to imagine that in the 19th century, when photography was in its infancy, it was seen, and practiced, as an art form. Not show more surprisingly, the photographers who first set up shop made portraiture their stock in trade. Its clientele not only wanted a lasting image which would remain long after they did; they were offering a poor man's commission of an art form that did more than just photograph the subject, but brought him or her to life, revealing personality and character through the lens of the camera.

Such was the greatness of the photographs of "The Great Nadar," the subject of this fascinating biography of the 19th century French photographer, artist, author, and aeronaut. A bit of a dilettante, his resume reads like a virtual catalogue of possible career choices: trained as a doctor, a caricaturist and artist, a balloonist, a photographer, entrepreneur, and essayist, Felix Nadar was a jack of all trades, one of those colorful French characters whose ambitions, experiences, friends, jobs, and overall life make the 21st century reader feel unaccomplished and provincial.

His photographs were pieces of art, and in this entertaining biography, Adam Begley gives us a glimpse of the man behind the camera. He delves into the more colorful aspects of Nadar's life, loves, family dramas, etc, highlighting the more entertaining episodes, like his infamous ballooning (mis)adventure that miraculously spared the lives of the travelers involved.

Nadar's portraiture photographs are mesmerizing, in their brilliance at capturing the subjects that sat for him. The photos are stunningly modern, capturing the essences of the models. The ones that spoke to me were his photos of a young Sarah Bernhardt, and those of an older George Sand. Nadar managed to expose something in each of his subjects that makes the viewer feel she is looking at an intimate moment rather than a posed portrait.

Begley, in his portrait, similarly allows Nadar's personality and character to shine through here. This was an entertaining read.

Thank you to the author and publisher for a review copy. show less

A thoroughly enjoyable biography that rattles on just like its energetic, bustling and innovative subject. It is well illustrated with many examples of photos taken by Nadar - great names of French culture and history. The care taken with George Sand to remove her double chin was interesting and amusing. Nadar's ballooning was fascinating and reckless. His daredevil can-do anything approach whatever the setback was impressive.