A beautiful, moving collection of short stories, in many of which Updike revisits the haunts of his childhood from the vantage point of old age. In "Fiftieth" old friends reconnect at a class reunion, and one of them is left wondering, 'What does it mean: the enormity of having been children and now being old, living next to death.' In the story "The Full Glass" the protagonist describes somewhat ruefully the rituals of old age. Before going to bed, he raises his nightly water glass 'drinking a toast to the visible world, his impending disappearance from it be damned.' In "Varieties of Religious Experiences" a grandfather, visiting his daughter in Brooklyn Heights, watches the tower of the World Trade Centre fall, and his view of a God is forever altered. Again and again in these memorable stories, Updike strikes to the heart, giving words to what is so often left unsaid. He is at once witty, devastatingly observant, touching - and, of course, a consummate storyteller. This is a collection that will be admired and cherished.

约翰•厄普代克（John Updike，1932-2009）

美国当代公认的文学大师。毕业于哈佛大学，曾供职《纽约客》杂志。一生写过大量体裁多样的作品，包括长篇小说“兔子四部曲”、短篇小说集、诗集和评论集，共计60余部著作。厄普代克两次获得普利策奖、美国图书奖和欧•亨利小说奖，以及其他十余种重要文学奖项，两次登上《时代》杂志封面。“性、宗教、美国、死亡”是厄普代克擅长的创作主题，“美国小镇、中产阶级”是他偏爱的文学世界。厄普代克的文风，对许多作家产生巨大影响，菲利普•罗斯称他是“我们时代最伟大的文学家”。