{"title":"Bech","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the witty and insightful world of John Updike's Bech. This collection offers a humorous yet poignant look at the life and times of a celebrated Jewish American author. Start browsing now!\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"bech-a-book-book-john-updike-9780449004524","title":"Bech: A Book","description":"The Jewish American novelist Henry Bech--procrastinating, libidinous, and tart-tongued, his reputation growing while his powers decline--made his first appearance in 1965, in John Updike's \"The Bulgarian Poetess.\" That story won the O. Henry First Prize, and it and the six Bech adventures that followed make up this collection\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e \"Bech is the writer in me,\" Updike once said, \"creaking but lusty, battered but undiscourageable, fed on the blood of ink and the bread of white paper.\" As he trots the globe, promotes himself, and lurches from one woman's bed to another's, Bech views life with a blend of wonder and cynicism that will make followers of the lit-biz smile with delight and wince in recognition.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49804613648657,"sku":"CIN044900452XG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50467354607889,"sku":"CIN044900452XA","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52815747744017,"sku":"CIN044900452XVG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/044900452X.jpg?v=1785882818"},{"product_id":"bech-is-back-book-john-updike-9780449004531","title":"Bech Is Back","description":"In this follow-up to \u003ci\u003eBech: A Book,\u003c\/i\u003e Henry Bech, the priapic, peripatetic, and unproductive Jewish American novelist, returns with seven more chapters from his mock-heroic life. He turns fifty in a confusing blend of civic and erotic circumstances while publicizing himself in Australia and Canada. He marries a \u003ci\u003eshiksa\u003c\/i\u003e and travels with her to Israel, where she falls in love with the land, and to Scotland, where \u003ci\u003ehe\u003c\/i\u003e does. And--sweating buckets! thinking big! minting miracles!\u003ci\u003e--\u003c\/i\u003ehe writes an ingeniously tawdry bestseller. Bech's aesthetic and moral embarrassments reveal acid truths about both his trade and our times.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50061332676881,"sku":"CIN0449004538VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50236498542865,"sku":"CIN0449004538G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0449004538.jpg?v=1785847722"},{"product_id":"bech-at-bay-book-john-updike-9780449004043","title":"Bech at Bay","description":"In this, the final volume in John Updike's mock-heroic trilogy about the Jewish American writer Henry Bech, our hero is older but scarcely wiser. Now in his seventies, he remains competitive, lecherous, and self-absorbed, lost in a brave new literary world where his books are hyped by Swiss-owned conglomerates, showcased in chain stores attached to espresso bars, and returned to warehouses three weeks after publication. In five chapters more startling and surreal than any that have come before, Bech presides over the American literary scene, enacts bloody revenge on his critics, and wins the world's most coveted writing prize. It's not easy being Henry Bech in the post-Gutenbergian world, but somebody has to do it, and he brings to the task his signature mixture of grit, spit, and ennui.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50108247212305,"sku":"CIN044900404XG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50112731119889,"sku":"CIN044900404XA","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50133061894417,"sku":"CIN044900404XVG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51268600398097,"sku":"NIN9780449004043","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51582276370705,"sku":"GOR009043492","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":54600845230353,"sku":"GOR010100699","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/044900404X.jpg?v=1786110854"},{"product_id":"unknown-book-bech-9781175528179","title":"The Unknown","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into a world of mystery and psychological intrigue with \"The Unknown\", a compelling literary journey. Follow the protagonist as they grapple with lost memories and a fractured identity, piecing together the fragments of a life shrouded in uncertainty. Bech masterfully crafts a narrative that explores the depths of the human psyche, challenging our perceptions of reality and self.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith each turn of the page, the suspense builds, drawing you deeper into the enigma. Discover the truth hidden beneath layers of deception in this unforgettable tale of self-discovery and resilience. A must-read for fans of thought-provoking fiction that lingers long after the final page.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51660521799953,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51660522291473,"sku":"NIN9781175528179","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/117552817X.jpg?v=1767092014"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/bech-book-series.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}