Rabbit at Rest Summary
John Updike

Everything you need to understand or teach Rabbit at Rest by John Updike.

  • Rabbit at Rest Summary & Study Guide

Rabbit at Rest Summary

Rabbit at Rest is the fourth and final novel in Updike's series on the adventures and fate of Harry Angstrom. By focusing on the life of an average American character, Updike has assembled a portrait of American culture and its disintegration that now spans more than three decades. The latest episode includes the issues of drug addiction, business corruption, the AIDS epidemic, the selling of America to foreign investors, and the fate of women in a declining job market. The novel is a detailed reflection of the news stories so prevalent in the year George Bush inherits a debt-ridden America.

Rabbit at Rest is also the portrait of a family, three generations of Angstroms, who show how difficult it is to live in a contemporary America filled with debt, drugs, and sterile retirement communities. The first scene of the novel, a family visit to...

(read more from the Short Guide)

Study Pack

The Rabbit at Rest Study Pack contains:

Rabbit at Rest Short Guide