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'Higher Gossip,' by John Updike: review. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
A bit like Edmund Wilson, Updike tends to start rather dryly and then take off. But whereas Wilson would begin with one short sentence and then, by sentence number two, be off to the races, Updike bides his time, and several of these reviews slowly evolve into works of art in themselves, building to conclusions that are utterly thrilling, magical, both academic and self-revealing, such as his review of the sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider at the Metropolitan Museum that segues from being a meditation on sculpture, German history, and whether a plump belly on a woman was "the medieval equivalent of the valorized bosom and derriere of modern fashion," and finally ends with reflections on the evolution of Christianity and beauty. "When transcendent worth can wear no outward sign, the interesting amorphousness of democracy descends."
Dave also sends: Weighty new collection showcases Updike’s range.
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