The Centaur

3.7 avg 5054 votes 372 reviews 7341 want to read

About this book

In a small Pennsylvania town in the late 1940s, schoolteacher George Caldwell yearns to find some meaning in his life. Alone with his teenage son for three days in a blizzard, Caldwell sees his son grow and change as he himself begins to lost touch with his life. Interwoven with the myth of Chiron, the noblest centaur, and his own relationship to Prometheus, The Centaur is one of John Updike's most brilliant and unusual novels.

3.7 ★★★★☆ average of 3 sources · 5054 votes
Open Library 4.0 1
1★2★3★4★5★
Goodreads 3.7 5054

372 reviews · 7,341 want to read · 190 reading now

Apple Books 3.5 10

Reader Profile

Enjoyment74Difficulty60Influence52Popularity54Classic64

3.7/5 · 5054 readers · 281 pages · ≈ 5 h 12 m · Moderate

How long does it take to read The Centaur?

About ≈ 5 h 12 m — 281 pages, assuming roughly 250 words per page at 225 words per minute.Typical novel≈ 5 h 56 mThe Centaur~5 h 12 m

How many pages is The Centaur?

281 pages in its most-read edition.Typical novel320The Centaur281

What genre is The Centaur?

It sits on the Fantasy, Fiction shelves.

Is The Centaur in the public domain?

No — it is still under copyright.

Who are the main characters in The Centaur?

The main characters include John Updike.

Where does The Centaur take place?

It is set in Alton, PA (Reading, PA) during 1940s-1960s.

Who wrote The Centaur?

John Updike.

Setting AltonPA (ReadingPA) Time period 1940s-1960s Characters John Updike
The Centaur ★ 3.7 · 3 sources Check price →