JOHN UPDIKE Terrorist ****

I've always loved John Updike's writing, but was put off this book by some sniffy reviews. More fool me. I've read it now and I thought it was great.

It's the story of Ahmad, a half-Egyptian half-Irish Moslem boy in America. A very bright student at high school he becomes increasingly disenchanted with the sleaze and day-to-day atheism of the society around him and wants to devote himself totally to God, even if he is tempted by a 'Christian' girl from school.

He's the perfect candidate for a suicide bomber and duly gets recruited.

It's also partly the story of his careers teacher, a 60-year-old man, who is distressed that the boy is wasting his potential by becoming a van driver rather than going to college. The teacher starts an affair with the boy's mother, which Updike (being Updike) describes in all its fleshy detail.

In the end everybody fails the boy and he's horribly disappointed by his fellow conspirators. The whole world, it seems, is determined to destroy the purity of his relationship with God. "They've stolen my God," he says at the end.

It's a fascinating, chilling and convincing insight into what makes a suicide bomber, and beautifully written as well.