Review: John Updike's 'Villages' Reflects on Aging and Self-Discovery

The novel "Villages" by John Updike, published in 2004, marks the author's fiftieth year of writing and offers a reflective account of aging, imbued with a bittersweet tone and an intimate voice. The book is characterized as a bildungsroman, sensitively portraying the journey of Owen, a child plagued by self-doubt and anxiety, as he gradually finds his place in the world.

Updike's narrative structure is not strictly linear; it unfolds through emerging memories, piecing together the protagonist's life. As Owen's understanding and existence develop, his emotional life becomes increasingly intricate. The story traces his path from a hesitant adolescent, who lost his courage at a crucial moment with Elsie Seidel, through his university love, his adored first wife Phyllis, and the mother of his four children, to his first infidelity. Subsequent adventures lead him to his second wife, Julia, all while the villages he inhabits strip away his former innocence.

The reviewer highlights Updike's observation that "A village is woven from secrets, from truths best left unspoken." Owen's life story is set against the backdrop of a changing American landscape of villages and small towns, a world often misunderstood. The narrative also weaves in the historical currents of the twentieth century, specifically how these events impacted life in these communities.

Described as a "truly good read," Updike's "Villages" is noted for its subtle irony, underlying bitterness, and deeply personal nature. The reviewer concludes that the novel was a fitting tribute to its author's anniversary at the time of its publication and continues to hold significant value even two decades later. The Hungarian translation by Gy. Horváth László was published by Európa Könyvkiadó in Budapest in 2005.