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Overview
"Trapped in their cozy catacombs, the couples have made sex by turns their toy, their glue, their trauma, their therapy, their hope, their frustration, their revenge, their narcotic, their main line of communication and their sole and pitiable shield against the awareness of death."--Time
One of The Atlantic's Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years
One of the signature novels of the American 1960s, Couples is a book that, when it debuted, scandalized the public with prose pictures of the way people live, and that today provides an engrossing epitaph to the short, happy life of the "post-Pill paradise." It chronicles the interactions of ten young married couples in a seaside New England community who make a cult of sex and of themselves. The group of acquaintances form a magical circle, complete with ritualistic games, religious substitutions, a priest (Freddy Thorne), and a scapegoat (Piet Hanema). As with most American utopias, this one's existence is brief and unsustainable, but the "imaginative quest" that inspires its creation is eternal.
Praise for Couples
"Couples [is] John Updike's tour de force of extramarital wanderlust."--The New York Times Book Review
"Ingenious . . . If this is a dirty book, I don't see how sex can be written about at all."--Wilfrid Sheed, The New York Times Book Review
One of The Atlantic's Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years
One of the signature novels of the American 1960s, Couples is a book that, when it debuted, scandalized the public with prose pictures of the way people live, and that today provides an engrossing epitaph to the short, happy life of the "post-Pill paradise." It chronicles the interactions of ten young married couples in a seaside New England community who make a cult of sex and of themselves. The group of acquaintances form a magical circle, complete with ritualistic games, religious substitutions, a priest (Freddy Thorne), and a scapegoat (Piet Hanema). As with most American utopias, this one's existence is brief and unsustainable, but the "imaginative quest" that inspires its creation is eternal.
Praise for Couples
"Couples [is] John Updike's tour de force of extramarital wanderlust."--The New York Times Book Review
"Ingenious . . . If this is a dirty book, I don't see how sex can be written about at all."--Wilfrid Sheed, The New York Times Book Review
| ISBN-13 | 9780449911907 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10 | 044991190X |
| Weight | 0.95 Pounds |
| Dimensions | 5.50 x 1.29 x 8.25 In |
| List Price | $19.00 |
| Edition | 1st Edition |
| Format | Paperback |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Pages | 576 pages |
| Publisher | Random House Publishing Group |
| Published On | 1996-08-27 |
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Book is in very good condition and may include minimal underlining highlighting. The book can also i...
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Signs of wear and consistent use.
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A well-loved companion. Corners and cover might show a little wear and you could find some notes or ...
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Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and ...
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Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and ...
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