An American Institution

If you describe somebody as an Institution, you put a great deal of your personal conviction in that individual. And you also hope that the person has transcended a generation and stood the test of time. To me John Updike is nothing short of a not only the giant of American literature but a colossal institution of our time. He has captured the heart and soul of post war America like no other writer has. His work has been a fascinating insight into the small town middle America with its generally protestant work ethics, the prejudices and the gnawing hollowness of the desire of the characters created by him are simply awe inspiring. Updike has the unique capacity to turn even the most banal into a thing of beauty. He was simply a magician with the words. His Rabbit series, a collection of four novels would forever remain one of my proud  possessions . Eulogizing Updike in January 2009, the British novelist Ian McEwan wrote that Updike's "literary schemes and pretty conceits touched at points on the Shakespearean", and that Updike's death marked "the end of the golden age of the American novel in the 20th century's second half." McEwan concluded that the Rabbit series is Updike's "masterpiece and will surely be his monument’’. He was known for his highly distinctive prose, rich in detail and honed with a lot of craft. No matter how much I try, I can never convey my deep and abiding admiration for this Genius chronicler of the heart and soul of America of a bygone era.