1999-02-12 Sprawling and majestic

John Updike is a truly fantastic American author and in the Beauty of the Lilies he has managed to present a wonderful cross section of life across four generations of the same family. A lengthy read, not always direct and to the point (Updike appears to enjoy listing places, names, news in this novel), but combining slowly into a historically fleshed out panorama. The last section of the novel, in which the great grandson joins a cult, seems to rake over the coals of Updike's earlier novel 'S', and doesn't quite keep fit in with the rest of the book. Then again, when DOES one generation fit perfectly with another?