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This is probably not Irving's best book but I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Once I got past the dull beginning, the story sucked me right in.
The novel is about the bonds between men. It's sort of a coming-of-age novel, Irving style - which is to say quirky. The story follows the lives of a cook, his son and the cook's best friend over the course of about 50 years. Most of the women come and go but what sustains the men through the tragedies and sorrows of life is their love for eac ...more
The novel is about the bonds between men. It's sort of a coming-of-age novel, Irving style - which is to say quirky. The story follows the lives of a cook, his son and the cook's best friend over the course of about 50 years. Most of the women come and go but what sustains the men through the tragedies and sorrows of life is their love for eac ...more
Sep 10, 2010
Sunflower
rated it
really liked it
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review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction-read-2010
This is a big, sprawling giant of a novel which spans almost a lifetime of the main character. It is written in a peculiar style-events which haven't been explained are written about as if we already know about them, and while the reader is going "huh? did I miss something?" the explanation wanders into the storyline. At the end of the book the writer character starts writing the book-pinning up phrases that appeared throughout the novel, in preparation for his next book. Strange?
The characters ...more
The characters ...more
There's a lot of connective tissue to "Until I Find You", which I thought worked a lot better.
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Jul 09, 2011
Andy Plonka
added it
This one deals with the logging industry in New England and a writer's life. There are Irvings usual assortment of weird characters, drunks, reformed drunks, and strong women. I think I still like Owen Meany the best of all the Irving books I've read. Some of the cast in this book are reminescent of Owen Meany and Cider House Rules.
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Eh. Enjoyable but mediocre; Irving can do better than to steal from himself.
I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. Ketchum was a pretty unforgettable character and I keep thinking "don't get your balls crossed".
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I used to love John Irving and keep being tempted to try his new books, but this is the second one running that I've given up on. I read the first 125 pages but realised I wasn't enjoying it, even though, on the face of it, it has all the ingredients I loved in his earlier books, from orphans to bears. It just feels very grim and downbeat. I think I'll have to accept that this author and I have moved in different directions!
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This is definitely one to read far more for the characters than the plot - the storyline is sort of silly, but the characters around Daniel are worth the time, particularly Ketchum. It's not his best, but still has the moments of unexpected humor and poignancy you expect from Irving.
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Nov 13, 2009
Isabel
marked it as to-read
Dec 29, 2009
Jamie
marked it as to-read
Jan 07, 2013
Claire Fun
marked it as to-read
Jan 08, 2013
Terri
marked it as vaca-home-library
Jun 04, 2022
AGB
marked it as to-read
Jan 28, 2023
Beth
marked it as to-read
