Book Report: "A&P" by John Updike
Note: If you haven’t ever read “A&P,” I encourage you to do so. It is a short read, and currently available to read for free here and here . “A&P” is a short story by author John Updike. This first person narrative discusses a young man Sammy, and his experience when a group of scantily clad girls walk into the A&P store in which he works as a cashier, and ultimately spur him to quit his job. Updike’s short story is typically met with a wide variety of opinions, as evident from its goodreads profile . A vocal majority strongly dislike the work, criticizing it for the misogynistic narrator Sammy, as well as seemingly lacking a good point. Some others consider the story tolerable, but nothing special. The apparent smallest group, including myself, consider “A&P” a classic, giving valuable life lessons in a small and entertaining package. On the surface, it is completely understandable to consider that “A&P” is a shallow exploration of a teenage boy’s blatant lu...