John Updike books in order
American novelist, poet
- Lived
- 1932–2009
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 66
- Series
- 1
John Updike published 37 novels, 1 novella, 12 short story collections, 8 non-fiction books, 5 poetry collections, 1 play and 2 other books, beginning with Couples (1968). The series is Rabbit Angstrom (5 books, starting with Rabbit, Run). 3 feature Henry Bech.
Updated September 2026
Rabbit Angstrom books in order (5)Series page
Reading order: 1 Rabbit, Run (1960) · 2 Rabbit Redux (1971) · 3 Rabbit Is Rich (1981) · 4 Rabbit at Rest (1990) · Rabbit Remembered (2001)
- 1.
Rabbit, Run (Nov 1960)
- 2.
Rabbit Redux (1971)
- 3.
Rabbit Is Rich (Sep 1981)
- 4.
Rabbit at Rest (1990)
Rabbit Remembered (Nov 2001)
Where to start with John Updike
Start here
Couples
John Updike's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
The Poorhouse Fair (1958)
The Same Door (1959)
The Centaur (Jan 1963)
Assorted Prose (1965)
Of the Farm (1965)
Couples (1968)
Bech: a Book (May 1970)
A Month of Sundays (Jan 1975)
Marry Me (1976)
The Coup (1978)
Too Far to Go (1979)
The Witches of Eastwick (Apr 1984)
Roger's Version (1986)
Forty Stories (1987)
The Afterlife (1987)
S (1988)
Self-consciousness (1989)
Memories of the Ford Administration (1992)
Brazil (1994)
Classic Erotic Tales (1995)
Rabbit Angstrom (1995)
Golf Dreams (1996)
In the Beauty of the Lilies (1996)
Toward the End of Time (1997)
Gertrude and Claudius (Feb 2000)
Seek My Face (2002)
Villages (2004)
Christmas at The New Yorker (2005)
Terrorist (2006)
The Widows of Eastwick (Oct 2008)
Short story collections in order
Pigeon Feathers (1962)
Olinger Stories (1964)
The Music School (1966)
Museums and Women, and Other Stories (1972)
Problems and Other Stories (1979)
Your Lover Just Called (1980)
Trust Me (1987)
The Best American Short Stories of the Century (1999)
Licks of Love (2000)
The Early Stories: 1953–1975 (Oct 2003)
My Father's Tears and Other Stories (2009)
The Maples Stories (2009)
Non-fiction in order
Picked-up Pieces (1975)
Hugging the Shore (1983)
Just Looking (1989)
Odd Jobs (1991)
Listening for God (1994)
More Matter (1999)
A Century of Arts and Letters (2003)
Due Considerations (2007)
Poetry in order
The Carpentered Hen and Other Tame Creatures (1958)
Telephone Poles and Other Poems (1963)
Midpoint, and Other Poems (1969)
Tossing and Turning (1977)
Collected Poems, 1953-1993 (1993)
Plays in order
Buchanan Dying (1974)
Other books in order
A & P (1986)
The Twelve Terrors of Christmas (2006)
Film and TV adaptations
- Rabbit, Run (1970)Film · from Rabbit, Run
- The Witches of Eastwick (1987)Film · from The Witches of Eastwick
- EastwickTV · from The Witches of Eastwick
About John Updike
John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once, Updike published more than twenty novels, more than a dozen short-story collections, as well as poetry, art and literary criticism and children's books during his career.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
John Updike FAQ
- How many books has John Updike written?
- John Updike published 37 novels, 1 novella, 12 short story collections, 8 non-fiction books, 5 poetry collections, 1 play and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read John Updike's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Rabbit Angstrom with Rabbit, Run. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is John Updike's last book?
- The Maples Stories (2009).
- What is John Updike's most famous book?
- Couples (1968) is John Updike's most widely read book.
- Are John Updike's books connected?
- 5 books belong to 1 series (Rabbit Angstrom); the other 61 books stand alone.
- Which John Updike books have been adapted?
- 2 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Rabbit, Run (film, 1970) and The Witches of Eastwick (film, 1987).
Authors like John Updike
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.