Kate Reading delivers it in a American suburbian tone that gives this quite diabolical tale an interesting flavour, which I think is what Updike was going for? 

In any case, I enjoyed it overall and felt it was a good attempt by a man of addressing the issue of women coming into their own once they've shed their male dependency. Yet it is also a man who comes between the women of this story and subverts their powers into evil that ultimately backfires on him or does it? 

Some think this is the opposite of female empowerment because of the character of Daryl Van Horne coming between the three women, but I disagree. His betrayal serves to show them their faults and brought out their vindictiveness, but in the end, they made their own choices. 

The eroticism was muted somewhat by the reading so I sometimes didn't even realise it was there. This also worked in its favour IMO as the sexuality is given a purpose instead of being sex for its own sake. 

This is one of those books I know will be very different from the movie because it would be impossible to capture the right tone and I can already tell Hollywood has bastadised it. Though  I love Jack Nicholson and all the actresses in it and think they would have portrayed the characters perfectly, if the story had been maintained. In any case I will still try and watch it.