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John Irving: The World According To Garp

Originally posted by third man girl
Kaz

Did you ever finish this book?

I haven't read any John Irving books and wondered about trying this as a starter.

Third Man Girl
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I am sorry to delay! Just finished this book last night. It was quite good, some of them are bit slowly and other bits were enjoyable. It was about a mother walked out on her daughter beause she lost two sons. Her daughter grow up to become writer.
 
Originally posted by Pilgrim
You could also try 'The Cider House Rules' which along with 'Garp' and 'Owen Meany' were my favourites by Irving.

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A kindred spirit!

The Cider House Rules is my favourite book. The film (screenplay by John Irving) is my favourite film. Although several major plots are removed from the film (time contstraints) both have me in tears on a regular basis.
 
I've read quite a few Irving--

Garp--Loved it, the first one I read.

Widow for a Year--Boring, didn't like it. :eek:

Hotel New Hampshire-My favorite Irving, the most entertaining and enjoyable, Sorrow the dog has become one of the most memorable characters ever for me. :D There is a special place in my heart for this novel.

Cider House Rules--Very good, to me it was very different from his other books. (I'm going to finally watch the movie tonight!)

158-Pound Marriage--A weird, very sexual book about arranged infidelity and swapping spouses...

Water Method Man--I've only finished half, I found it boring, but I'm going to try finishing it soon, hopefully.

A Prayer for Owen Meany-An extremelly enjoyable and touching book, I sobbed through the ending.
 
I just finshed the World According to Garp, it was quite a book. I don't think I've read anything that took me through a wider range of emotions. It was funny, sad, and disturbing, depending on where you were at in the story and in many parts a combination. I also found myself alternately liking and disliking each character throughout, but in the end I was attached to them all and have already pushed the book on others.

This was my first John Irving book and I'll have to read more. I had started Cider House Rules once but didn't get very far because I was too busy at the time.
 
Easy:
Irving is a genius have no doubt:

Of true value and literary genius are:

Widow for a Year

A Prayer for Owen Meany

The Fourth Hand

The Cider House Rules.


Iriving is one of the US's true greats and it often surprises me how few people have read him...go buy some NOW
 
I'm about 1/2 way into Garp right now and it certainly is classic Irving. Garp and Jenny are such great, characters. Despite their considerable flaws I can't help but love them both. I'll post more when I finish.
 
Sigh....... Just finished Garp. What a great book. Irving can create a character like no other author I've read. Each is so flawed, idiosyncratic, human, and believable. Irving's characters seem to truly "live" in the world he creates for them. Often, I find, authors will create a character and make the story fit around this non-malleable form, with predictable speech, actions, and emotions; not so for Garp and company. Their actions, often unpredictable, often tragic, often hillarious seem true and unprompted. It's a seemless integration of character and story.

Can't say enough about how much I enjoy John Irving's work.
 
Garp is a great book, I recently read Hotel New Hampshire again and now I think that's one of my favourites of John Irving. You feel like you're living with this family and I missed them when I finished the book:rolleyes:

I read his latest Until I Find You and I'm still not sure if I like it or not...hard to say why cos I'm tired now and should get off this PC soon. will try and elabarote another time.
 
I enjoyed Garp. Irving did a great job with the characters; at first I hated Garp then began to change that opinion as the novel ended. Admittedly I did skip over much of his stories and novel excerpts. I realize their importance to the plot but I was too invested in the main story to trudge through those moments.
 
I absolutely loathed Garp and Owen Meany, and couldn't get through any part of Cider House Rules, but I have read Until I Find You and enjoyed it much more than the others.

The movie Garp is weird but worth watching though, especially if you have read the novel.
 
Garp was an interesting book for me and was the first Irving that I read. A college roommate recommended Owen Meany which I loved. I have since read The fourth hand and one other (not Cider House Rules) but Meany is my favorite. I will look up Hotel New Hampshire since reading your posts and give it a try next time I hit the library.
 
I am in awe of A Prayer for Owen Meany still, years after having read it. In my mind it remains so vibrant, fresh, and well, full of genius. Touching, emotive and brilliant book. I haven't yet read Garp, but do intend to in the future.
 
Glad to see this long-running thread revived.

I'll add praise for Widow for One Year. Overall, I enjoyed it thoroughly, but toward the end it has probably the most memorable scene I can ever remember from all my reading. For that scene alone the book will remain on my shelves forever. Genius is the only word for the writing.

I'm part way through Owen Meany, and stalled, but now on the basis of recommendations here, I'll finish it. Thanks for that too.
:flowers:
 
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