The setting may be out of time, but speaks to the present, as the villagers’ conservatism manifests as rejection, suspicion and persecution — treating outsiders or non-conformists as an invading pathogen.
—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2026
The solace and the pathos in Updike’s and Rosenberg’s work come from realizing that in many cases, conformists can’t win either.
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