Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Water-Method Man

by John Irving (Goodreads Author)

3.28 of 5 stars 3.28 · rating details · 7,028 ratings · 194 reviews

The main character of John Irving's second novel, written when the author was twenty-nine, is a perpetual graduate student with a birth defect in his urinary tract--and a man on the threshold of committing himself to a second marriage that bears remarkable resemblance to his first....
"Three or four times as funny as most novels."
THE NEW YORKER

From the Paperback edition.

Paperback, 280 pages

Published June 23rd 1997 by Ballantine Books (first published 1972)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The World According to Garp by John Irving

Best of John Irving

10th out of 18 books — 209 voters

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Massive Reading List

41st out of 81 books — 50 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Sep 10, 2007 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: alltimefavorites

this book is so unique in that it's absolutely not what you would expect from john irving. It's only his second or third book, and you can see the beginnings of Garp in it, but it's so simple and streamlined compared to some of his later work. It's a sweet, funny story with extremely memorable characters - in fact, I can't believe it hasn't been made into a movie yet. I think it's crying out to be. A movie about a book about the making of a movie.
Also, it made me start going around flipping my...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 06, 2011 wally rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: irving-john

1 Yogurt & Lots of Water
Her gynecologist recommended Dr. Jean Claude Vigneron to Fred “Bogus” Trumper, the eye-narrator of this story. Ralph Packer named him Thump-Thump. Tulpen calls him by his surname, Trumper. Urinary tract is a winding road…they are both 28. Merrill Overturf is still lost…lives w/Tulpen.
2 War-Built Things
This chapter t’would appear to take a 3rd-person look through…
Fred likes to remember Merrill Overturf, the diabetic, who called him Boggle. The Iowa phase. Biggie his w...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 12, 2012 Maggie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Technically a 2.5 star rating.

I'm a big big fan of Irving's later books (Garp, Owen Meany, Cider House Rules, Until I Find You) so I was intrigued to read one of his earlier works. But, it was nowhere as good, which I should have expected. This was choppier and more uneven/inconsistent than I'm used to from Irving, and his storytelling skill is not nearly as good/compelling as it becomes.

Irving obviously naturally gravitates towards flawed, quirky characters, but in this book had not yet quite h...more Technically a 2.5 star rating.

I'm a big big fan of Irving's later books (Garp, Owen Meany, Cider House Rules, Until I Find You) so I was intrigued to read one of his earlier works. But, it was nowhere as good, which I should have expected. This was choppier and more uneven/inconsistent than I'm used to from Irving, and his storytelling skill is not nearly as good/compelling as it becomes.

Irving obviously naturally gravitates towards flawed, quirky characters, but in this book had not yet quite honed his ability to make them whole and human. The constant unpredictable changes in POVs were somewhat annoying and distracting, as was his habit of referring to the main character by various nicknames, often in the same sentence. I imagine this was purposeful and intended to emphasize Trumper's lack of depth, identity, purpose etc, but it didn't really work, generally detracting from rather than adding to the story.

As always with Irving, childhood abandonment is a key theme (poor Irving!), and fathers that leave, although I'm more used to the actual fathers being absent from his books, rather than having the story told from the father's perspective. It is hard to be on this father's side, as it's obvious Irving hasn't quite achieved an understanding of the absent father's motivations, which is reinforced by the whole cast of characters saying things to Trumper like "You just leave! You don't even know why!" and Trumper conceding that, yes yes, they are all right. He just leaves. He doesn't know why.

And he (Irving and/or Trumper) never really addresses that, never figures out why Trumper leaves with such frequency, which is largely why the ending feels too forced, abrupt and pat, neatly tied up with a ribbon. It was unsatisfying, as Trumper doesn't have to deal with any real consequences of his actions, and his character arc feels unprompted and unbelievable. He just seems to have this random moment of "this is what I'm going to do!" and so he does it (also completely out of character) for no good reason, and then he repents his errant ways and lives happily ever after. It was a bit jarring.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 11, 2012 Peter Boysen rated it 5 of 5 stars

When R.E.M. recently broke up, it occurred to me that I hadn't bought one of their CD's (or downloaded any of their songs for my iPod, now that CD's are passe), since "Automatic for the People" -- which was released in 1992. Everything else was from "Out of Time," "Green," "Document," or "Life's Rich Pageant" -- all released between 1986 and 1991. That means that their last seven albums never made it onto my radar.

Some of this has to do with the fact that I adopted many of my favorite songs betw...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 28, 2012 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Water-Method is John Irving's second book, written when he was 29 years old, but it certainly doesn't sound like it. This is, in fact, one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. It isn't too hard for me to find a book that will make me smile, but it is a rare pleasure to find one that will make me laugh out loud.

The story follows the stalled and frustrated life of Fred Trumper (alternately known as Thump-Thump and Bogus), a 29 year-old graduate student who can't seem to pay bills, f...more The Water-Method is John Irving's second book, written when he was 29 years old, but it certainly doesn't sound like it. This is, in fact, one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. It isn't too hard for me to find a book that will make me smile, but it is a rare pleasure to find one that will make me laugh out loud.

The story follows the stalled and frustrated life of Fred Trumper (alternately known as Thump-Thump and Bogus), a 29 year-old graduate student who can't seem to pay bills, finish his thesis, or maintain a healthy relationship with a woman. In addition to these fairly normal problems, Fred also has to deal with a twisted urinary tract that causes him no end of problems. Given the choice between corrective surgery and something called the water-method, well, you can guess which one he opts for.

In spite of some peculiar, interesting, and hilarious scenes, the basic plot of this story is nothing new. Marriage and dating struggles, infidelity, raising children, and love triangles are all problems dealt with in the book, but even if the subject matter tends towards the mundane, Irving's stylish and clever writing makes it enjoyable to read about. Especially clever are the various allusions to the Old Low Norse manuscript that Fred is attempting to translate for his thesis paper, and how its dramatic and epic elements mirror those more realistic experiences through which Fred must struggle.

I think even Irving was aware of the rather stunted nature of the premise. Fred is friends and co-workers with an independent film-maker named Ralph Packer who ends up making a movie about Fred (the film's title is not really appropriate for this website, however). Various reviews and comments on the film actually mirror what negative things one might have to say about the novel itself, so on that score, I give Irving points for his tongue-in-cheek humility (and for the subtle and witty self-mockery).

Although, much like water itself, this book is certainly thirst-quenching, there isn't too much substance here. It is refreshing nonetheless, and is a delight to read.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 02, 2013 Allie Whiteley rated it 2 of 5 stars

To be honest, I found this novel something of a confusing jumble. It flits between first and third person narrative, the places Vienna, Iowa, New York and Maine and is continually moving back and forward in time. The beginning is promising enough - PhD student Fred 'Bogus' Trumper consults renowned urologist Dr Jean Claude Vigneron about a particularly painful dose of "clap" with which he has been afflicted, so it would seem, since he was a teenager. Not being enthusiastic about a possible surgi...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jun 22, 2010 Jaslo rated it 1 of 5 stars

Um. What a hot mess!! It started with an interesting narrative voice and Irving's usual brilliance with language but took a turn for the...dare I say it...BORING!! Talk about creative writing, my beloved Johnny went wild in this book...going from epistolary, to screen play script, to third person, to first, to bizarro collage. Too creative. The transitions from one time and place to another lost me. Am I in Maine or Vienna? Am I asleep or daydreaming or is this happening?? And certain lines feel...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 05, 2013 Esther rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-a-copy

Hilarious story with memorable characters, weird incidents and strange relationships.

Some details were missing for my taste, e. g. I could not follow how Trumper passed six months in Vienna all by himself without remembering any of it or the whole part of how he got back to US, but generally a great, easy read which made me laugh out loud more than once.

I do prefer Irving’s later books where the stories are much more folded into each other and where you sometimes arrive at the end thinking: “I...more

like · see review

Jan 04, 2009 Erin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was disappointed by The Water-Method Man, which is John Irving's second book. No agent would be able to sell this book today; the story is interesting, but the execution is weak. Irving's prose is confusing and inconsistent, with jumps from first to third person and seemingly random changes in POV. Furthermore, the narrative has so many flashbacks that it is difficult to follow what is happening now, versus one year ago, versus two, three or four years ago.

The main character, Fred "Bogus" Trum...more I was disappointed by The Water-Method Man, which is John Irving's second book. No agent would be able to sell this book today; the story is interesting, but the execution is weak. Irving's prose is confusing and inconsistent, with jumps from first to third person and seemingly random changes in POV. Furthermore, the narrative has so many flashbacks that it is difficult to follow what is happening now, versus one year ago, versus two, three or four years ago.

The main character, Fred "Bogus" Trumper, is never fully realized. As a result, his eventual epiphany seems to lack depth. It is difficult to understand what the two female characters (both strong, beautiful and otherwise confident women except when it come to Trumper) see in him as a romantic counterpart; he seems fully detached from the world around him and more interested in himself than anyone around him, characteristics which for most women would be an immediate turn-off.

Irving's treatment of his female characters leaves something to be desired. Both Biggie and Tulpen, despite the fact that they are strong and confident women, seem to need a man to define them (either a partner or a son), which strikes me as dichotomous. Why would women who are so self-actualized require a man to get by? I can only find two reasons for this. Either the novel is dating itself, having been published in 1972 and being read by a 2009 feminist (myself), OR Irving is demonstrating a level of immaturity and a limited understanding of women common to men his age (Irving was 29 years old when he wrote The Water-Method Man). I tend to think it is a combination of both, as his female characters tend to be more well-rounded in his later works (that I have read).

The Water-Method Man isn't quite as funny as the cover blurbs make it out to be, but it is clever and very sad at the same time. The beginning was intriguing and the ending was satisfying, but he middle seemed to meander more than necessary. This book hints at the future inventiveness and ingenuity of Irving's later works, but truly this is a sophomoric effort. For Irving fans, I certainly recommend reading this; I enjoyed it simply for the fact that it helped me see how Irving has developed as a writer. For those who have not read Irving, I would recommend reading a later book, such as The World According to Garp or Until I Find You, first. If you dislike Irving, then you might enjoy reading this book simply for the sheer joy of pointing out its flaws.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 02, 2009 Fred rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised in reading this early John Irving novel to find so many precursors of the documentary style I first encountered in The World According to Garp. In addition to both first-person and third-person passages of narrative, the book is filled with letters, bits of film scripts, translations of a supposed Nordic epic, and other bits of ephemera. Irving's liberal doses of humor, much of it morose if not actually dark, are also on display, as is his skill at creating memorable,...more I was pleasantly surprised in reading this early John Irving novel to find so many precursors of the documentary style I first encountered in The World According to Garp. In addition to both first-person and third-person passages of narrative, the book is filled with letters, bits of film scripts, translations of a supposed Nordic epic, and other bits of ephemera. Irving's liberal doses of humor, much of it morose if not actually dark, are also on display, as is his skill at creating memorable, unusual characters and complex comic scenarios.

Because I have so enjoyed his later works, I was glad to discover that these elements were well developed even in this, his second novel. Though why I didn't expect them to be is a mystery to me. I suppose early novels often fail to measure up to later ones, which is of course natural, and if one comes to the early works late, then they feel like examples of an author's waning powers, when of course they're hints of what was to come later.

While The Water-Method Man is clearly the work of a writer building up to something even greater, it holds up quite well on its own. If I had stopped reading it 3/4 of the way through, I think I would have rated it higher than I did, because it was only the final stretch of the book that I felt the pace falter, and I wished for something more out of the final chapters. In part this is because the structure of the book, in which the main character's current relationship, earlier marriage, and even earlier courtship, are relayed in alternating chapters. By the time one reads enough to ties those strands together thoroughly, it feels as if there should be a resolution already close at hand, but there is a further development yet to come, and as a reader, I was by that time just as annoyed with the protagonist's inability to commit himself to anything as were all the people he'd left behind.

Maybe this was intentional, but it made the last part of the book less enjoyable than the first part. The protagonist certainly doesn't do much in most of the book to engender anyone's good will, apart from his often amusing antagonism and his tendency toward failure in spite of his obvious intellectual gifts. So after he has fled from all those who have tried to help him throughout most of the novel, it's hard to root for his success. Yet he does succeed, and while that success is proportional to his efforts, it does not feel as hard-won as one might expect. His frank, self-effacing failure has simply been too well-catalogued. His redemption, by comparison, seems a little too easy.

Still, I'll remember this novel for a long time to come, and that's an important distinction when so many books fade from memory. And I'll very likely try the other few early Irving novels I haven't read, because I trust there are treasures there to find.

(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 05, 2010 Rebecca Olson rated it 3 of 5 stars

After seeing "Cider House Rules" at Book-It this past season, I decided to revisit John Irving- I didn't realize how many of his books I hadn't read (he's quite a bit more prolific than I thought.) Water Method Man is one of his earlier novels, and while it was a good read, it wasn't *great.* It includes those recurring Irving obsessions with Vienna, big women, and uncomfortable sexual situations. There's even the compulsory mention of a character who used to wrestle (although it's not key to th...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 10, 2012 Leila Rice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Most people would consider this a very light Irving book, and not one of his great ones. It was one of his first novels, written before "The World According to Garp." I certainly wouldn't put in it the same category with "Garp," "Hotel New Hampshire," or "Cider House Rules." But I have an enormous amount of affection for it.... It involves a graduate student who fakes his dissertation, in the most ridiculous way possible. I found this almost unbearably hilarious when in graduate school myself. N...more

like · see review

Dec 07, 2008 Keri rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of his earlier books, and it is amazingly written. The first sentence alone still makes me shake my head in wonder.

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 08, 2007 christa added it

Shelves: trying2read

i want to read this because the main character has frequent urinary tract infections. but i cannot get into it.

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 10, 2011 Andy Norris rated it 3 of 5 stars

It didn't take long to get into this one, but the character depth was a bit lacking. I never really felt too much for any of them, but maybe Irving intended to write a story about people who aren't especially good or bad. Just people.

The story follows Fred Trumper during a period of being rudderless through college. Becoming a hapless half of a pair of accidental parents. Feeling smothered. Leaving his wife and son and running off to Europe for an extended period seeking to reconnect with an old...more

1 like · like · see review

May 25, 2012 Ellen rated it 3 of 5 stars

The first book I finished during my Peace Corps career was The World According to Garp so I found it especially fitting that I start my new adventure in the same country with yet another early John Irving book. I nearly died laughing at parts (Bogus's skiing adventure in particular) but overall found the book a little slow and scattered. Not only did it jump around in time and narrator but the same narrator (Bogus, Trumper, Thump-thump) has several different nicknames that were used interchangea...more

like · see review

Jan 09, 2011 Eric Wisdahl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, humor

The Water-Method Man explores the life and times of Fred "Bogus" "Thump-Thump" Trumper. The story investigates Bogus' relationships with his ex-wife and son, his friends (one of whom is his ex-wife's new lover), his relationship with his current girlfriend, and with his work. The story revolves around the fact that Bogus is a man who has trouble finishing things which he starts. It is told through various mechanisms of flash-backs, current day stories, drug induced memories, dreams and film brea...more

like · see review

Nov 12, 2008 Daneka rated it 1 of 5 stars

Strangely enough, I thought it was crude. I put it down.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 02, 2012 Christina Stind rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, fiction

I claim John Irving to be one of my favorite authors. That being said, I lack reading parts of his work and with this book, I’m trying to make up for it. Before reading this one, I haven’t read either of the two novels published before The World Accord to Garp gave Irving his huge break-through, so it’s interesting to see what Irving could do before that.

In this novel, some of the familiar themes in John Irving’s work are already present. As most of Irving’s novels, it takes place in part in New...more I claim John Irving to be one of my favorite authors. That being said, I lack reading parts of his work and with this book, I’m trying to make up for it. Before reading this one, I haven’t read either of the two novels published before The World Accord to Garp gave Irving his huge break-through, so it’s interesting to see what Irving could do before that.

In this novel, some of the familiar themes in John Irving’s work are already present. As most of Irving’s novels, it takes place in part in New England – and in Vienna, Irving’s second favorite place. We meet hookers, there’s wrestling, writers and film-makers. All things that are often apparent in Irving’s work and feels familiars while he manages to put a new spin on them with each novel.

The Water-Method Man is the story of Fred Trumber/Bogus/Thump-Thump and the two loves of his life as well as his work on his Ph.d. thesis, a translation of the Old Low Norse epic poem Akthelt and Gunnel. Chronologically, we jump around between Bogus living with his first wife Biggie, Bogus and Biggie meeting and falling in love and Bogus’s relationship with his girlfriend Tulpen – which in a lot of way is a repeat of his relationship with Biggie – and his attempts to be a better father to Colm, his son with Biggie. We also get to experience parts of Bogus’ childhood – for instance the time where he and a friend both got crap from the same girl…

In this novel, there are some very Irving’sk episodes that are so hilarious that they’re almost hard to read because they’re so funny. One is Biggie and Bogus’ huge wrestling match where Biggie thinks Bogus has been cheating on her when in reality, he has helped a young gay man from the restroom where he was attacked, to his home. The man had some perfume water for his sister in his pocket, of course the bottle broke and he reeks of this – and of course, so does Bogus after helping him. Biggie immediately thinks Bogus has so little respect for her that he doesn’t even bother to shower after being with his mistress and in order to prove his innocence, Bogus wants her to smell his crotch – of course. Now Biggie has no inclination to do so – hence the wrestling. Biggie is a big woman and she can hold her own so it takes a while for Bogus to get her pinned down so he can force her to smell his crotch – and these pages are so funny!

My other favorite scene is where Bogus actually wants to cheat with a girl from the language laboratory he’s working at. They drive far out into the country and once there, there’s a long description of how hard it is to actually do something in the back of a small car. And then Bogus has second thoughts and jumps out of the car. The girl gets angry and throws all his clothes out and drives away, stark naked. Bogus runs after her, clutching his clothes and boots to try to catch up with her, running across barbed wire and more on his way and ending up almost being run down by her. He meets two duck hunters who has seen the almost hit and the naked girl behind the wheels, and they offer him a ride home. He dresses first luckily, and then there’s an absurd ride home where one of the duck hunters is plucking the duck inside the truck with the feathers at one point all in the air like a giant pillow, driving down the streets. When back in the city, Bogus gets a friend to help him home and he’s down in the basement, hoping to clean himself and especially his injured feet a bit before Biggie discovers him – when he of course steps on the mouse trap and screams so loud that Biggie hears. He has half convinced her that he went duck hunting and went out in the lack to get the ducks and therefore took off his boots and pants to not ruin them, when he goes to the bathroom in front of her and starts peeing – with the condom still attached …

Now I haven’t talked about the name of the book yet. See, Bogus is suffering from a narrow urinary tract. He doesn’t have the courage to have a surgery to correct it and he doesn’t have will-power to abstain from sex, so instead he tries the water-method – which means drinking lots of water, especially before and after sex, as well as limit his intake of alcohol. For most of the novel, this water-method is quite symbolic of all of Bogus’ actions – he’s to scared to do anything major to change his life even though he says he wants to change so he keeps to the middle ground and avoids to commit himself too much to anything.

Since I come to this book now and with the knowledge of The World According to Garp, The Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meany, arguably Irving’s three best novels, I have a hard time with seeing this book’s merits on it’s own and without comparing it to these novels – as well as The Hotel New Hampshire which I also love. I can’t judge this book solely on it’s own – I have to compare it to the rest of Irving’s work (that I know of). And in that comparison, this falls a bit flat for me. I remember once reading a review of an Irving novel where the reviewer wrote something along the lines of that an 3-stars Irving novel was better than most author’s 5-stars novels. And it’s true. Irving has a special way of writing that’s just so exceptional. When I look at Irving’s work, this is not as good as the above mentioned novels which all have been 4 or 5 stars read for me. So this is a 3 stars read. To me, it’s an exceptional second novel, it’s an author who hasn’t quite found his powers yet but it’s almost there. And it was almost there – Irving’s next novel is The World According to Garp, my all-time favorite novel.(less)

like · see review

Jul 06, 2009 Simon Cleveland rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorite

This, my first John Irving Novel, has resurrected the rare feeling one gets from well written novels (the `good reading' feeling). This feeling is hard to bring about these days. It makes me wonder whether I should be looking for good novels written twenty and even thirty years ago. Are the authors of today writing for the sake of the buck, requiring only tenth grade reading comprehension? Why insult our intelligence? Why the cruelty against the sophisticated reader?

Where can one find today the...more

like · see review

Aug 02, 2011 Maria Guzman rated it 4 of 5 stars

I hated it and loved it... mmm. The beginnig is interesting, the middle is disconnected, and the last part gives meaning to the whole thing. Weird, ha? That's the genious of John Irving. Irving is like a child who runs faster than his feet. He tries to comunicate so many feelings and ideas at the same time, that they all come crashing down without being fully understood. Oh, the symbolism, the hidden philosophy! This novel, I had to force myself to read at times; but it paid off at the end!

like · see review

Aug 02, 2010 Angelique rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2010

Eh. I decided after enjoying the Fourth Hand so much, I'd only read Irving until I finished everything he has written. This turned out not to be a mistake so much, but a bit of a let down. I think this book is too all over the place in a sloppy not purposeful way. Some of the humour is classic and brilliant (boob loop!) but generally it was a push to read it. It took me over two weeks to finish this and 4 days to finish The Fourth Hand and that, speaks a lot for this work.

like · see review

Dec 15, 2012 Elyse rated it 3 of 5 stars

Bogus is not one of my favorite John Irving characters - scary part is the main character, Bogus, reminds me of a female version ofme! Has a tendancy to run away when the going gets tough. But there are some laugh-out-loud moments in this book. Hilarious scene when his he's running naked through the marshes trying to head-off his infuriated paramour who drove off in her car without him. I don't know how Bogus was able to attract such nice women in this book.

like · see review

Jan 04, 2013 Lydia Clopton rated it 5 of 5 stars

I picked this book up in a New Zealand hostel in 2003. It was my first introduction to John Irving, and I was hooked. It was so weird and funny. Not like anything I'd read before. When I finished it, all I wanted to do was read the rest of his novels. The next one was A Widow for One Year, and I loved it too. I then read all of his more well-known books, I while I REALLY enjoyed them, they didn't seem to have the same magic for me as the first two.

like · see review

Mar 18, 2013 Amanda Singleton rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book quite a bit. I laughed out loud many times. It's impressive in that it was Irving's second book, written at the age of 29. The themes explored are consistent with those in more recent publications, but have yet to become stale or overused to me. I guess it's because it's always so funny.

I thought the voyeuristic element at the end was interesting. Nowadays, it would seem commonplace, but I wonder how unique of a concept that was back in the 70's.

like · see review

Jul 02, 2011 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-11

I suppose it wouldn't truly be summer if I didn't read at least a little bit of Irving.

This book struck me in much the same way that the main character seems to strike everyone he meets, which is to say predictably and not all that interestingly. I didn't hate it, but the book seemed to wander, lost without much of a plot or goal in mind. Irving does manage to do some fun things with time though. And as always there were the favorite themes: Vienna and wrestling and prostitutes and New Hampshir...more

like · see review

Jul 29, 2010 Rebekkila rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bookcrossing

In the middle of reading this, the cover fell off. Then the pages started to come out in chunks. So in true Southern tradition I duct taped this thing back together. I did use clear duct tape, but I don't think it is fit to be released. I loved the book. This was my third John Irving and I have loved them all. I laughed out loud at parts of the story. Trumper may have been a loser, bt he did it with style.

like · see review

May 22, 2010 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars

[close:] The main character of John Irving's second novel, written when the author was twenty-nine, is a perpetual graduate student with a birth defect in his urinary tract--and a man on the threshold of committing himself to a second marriage that bears remarkable resemblance to his first....
"Three or four times as funny as most novels."
THE NEW YORKER

From the Paperback edition. [close:]

like · see review

Aug 08, 2012 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a fun book. It's got some good scenes, and some great lines.

My complaints are with Irving's general style. The poem subplot is extraneous. The varying points of view don't accomplish anything except preventing you from figuring out there's much of a plot until the end.

I read it at jury duty, so it served it's purpose, but you know, I would only recommend it to Irving fans.

like · see review

Jun 30, 2009 Chenoa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Easily the best part of this book is either the "most amazing" boob loop scene or "thump-thump's" encounter with the rather odd but amusing duck hunters. Otherwise it's just some guy that's gone through a bad marriage has no relationship with his parents, and can't pee right. Some funny stuff though. As for what i've learned...avoid drunk guys with ski poles. Hahahaha

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (29)

More editions...

Genres

Contemporary

19 users

Novels

12 users

Literary Fiction

11 users

Literature > American

10 users

Literature

8 users

Humor

8 users

Modern

4 users

Humor > Comedy

3 users

Family

3 users

Roman

3 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

The Following Story
by Cees Nooteboom
Die neuen Leiden des jungen W.
by Ulrich Plenzdorf
The Clock Winder
by Anne Tyler
Picture This
by Joseph Heller
The Blindfold
by Siri Hustvedt

About John Irving

John Irving published his first novel, Setting Free the Bears, in 1968. The World According to Garp, which won the National Book Award in 1980, was John Irving’s fourth novel and his first international bestseller; it also became a George Roy Hill film. Tony Richardson wrote and directed the adaptation for the screen of The Hotel New Hampshire (1984). Irving’s novels are now translated into thirty...more John Irving published his first novel, Setting Free the Bears, in 1968. The World According to Garp, which won the National Book Award in 1980, was John Irving’s fourth novel and his first international bestseller; it also became a George Roy Hill film. Tony Richardson wrote and directed the adaptation for the screen of The Hotel New Hampshire (1984). Irving’s novels are now translated into thirty-five foreign languages, and he has had nine international bestsellers. Worldwide, the Irving novel most often called “an American classic” is A Prayer for Owen Meany (1989)—the portrayal of an enduring friendship at that time when the Vietnam War had its most divisive effect on the United States.

In 1992, Mr. Irving was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (He competed as a wrestler for twenty years, until he was thirty-four, and coached the sport until he was forty-seven.) In 2000, Irving won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules—a Lasse Hallström film with seven Academy Award nominations. Tod Williams wrote and directed The Door in the Floor—the 2004 film adapted from Mr. Irving’s ninth novel, A Widow for One Year.

In One Person is John Irving’s thirteenth novel, which will be published by Simon & Schuster in May 2012. A compelling novel of desire, secrecy, and sexual identity, In One Person is a story of unfulfilled love — tormented, funny, and affecting — and an impassioned embrace of our sexual differences. Billy, the bisexual narrator and main character of In One Person, tells the tragicomic story (lasting more than half a century) of his life as a “sexual suspect,” a phrase first used by John Irving in 1978 — in his landmark novel of “terminal cases,” The World According to Garp.

His most political novel since The Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving’s In One Person is a poignant tribute to Billy’s friends and lovers — a theatrical cast of characters who defy category and convention. Not least, In One Person is an intimate and unforgettable portrait of the solitariness of a bisexual man who is dedicated to making himself “worthwhile.”

Born John Wallace Blunt, Jr., in Exeter, New Hampshire, in 1942, Mr. Irving’s name was changed to John Winslow Irving in 1948, when his mother remarried. (His mother’s maiden name was Winslow.) Mr. Irving named his first son, Colin, after his stepfather, Colin F.N. Irving, who taught in the History Department at Phillips Exeter Academy, where John Irving graduated in 1961; he was captain of the wrestling team at Exeter, and also wrestled at the University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Irving later attended the Institute for European Studies in Vienna, Austria. He has a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire and a M.F.A. from the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, where his mentor was Kurt Vonnegut.

Before the success of The World According to Garp enabled John Irving to become a full-time writer, he had several college teaching positions—not only at his alma mater in Iowa City, where he taught for three years, but also at Mt. Holyoke College and Brandeis University.

In the ‘80s, Mr. Irving lived in New York City and on eastern Long Island; since 1990, he has lived in Toronto and in southern Vermont. He has three sons—Colin, Brendan, and Everett—and four grandchildren. John Irving is married to Janet Turnbull Irving—formerly a Canadian publisher, who is now Mr. Irving’s literary agent in the U.S. His agent in Canada, and for the U.K., is Dean Cooke—at the Cooke Agency in Toronto. Mr. Irving is represented internationally by Nicki Kennedy at I.L.A. in London; his film agent is Robert Bookman at C.A.A. in Los Angeles.

In 2001, Mr. Irving was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. John Irving’s 70th birthday is March 2, 2012.(less)

More about John Irving...

Books by John Irving

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Water-Method Man

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The Water-Method Man

“I met him in the language lab. In a lull between lab sections, I was editing tapes for freshman German when this shuffling man of hair came in. Possibly twenty, or forty; possibly student, or faculty, Trotskyite or Amish farmer, human or animal; a theif lumbering out of a camera shop, laden with lenses and light meters; a bear who after a terrible and violent struggle ate a photographer. This beast approached me.” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Water-Method Man
avg rating	preview: The Water-Method Man Goodreads rating: 3.28 (7028 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4657.The_Water_Method_Man?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333577588l/4657.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4657.The_Water_Method_Man?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Water-Method Man by John Irving[/url]

The Water-Method Man

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website