The World According to Garp in Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

Mar 04, 2008 Steven rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1001, irving, new-england

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the third John Irving novel I have read and I think he is quite simply amazing. When I read his novels, even those that the critics have panned a bit, I laugh at loud and I am moved to tears and I marvel at his writing. Perhaps the thing I like most, though, is his ability to reference rather seemingly innocuous elements that seem so isolated and distinct and weave them together as part of a terribly intricate plot. Of course, that makes it very difficult to point out what the book is “a This is the third John Irving novel I have read and I think he is quite simply amazing. When I read his novels, even those that the critics have panned a bit, I laugh at loud and I am moved to tears and I marvel at his writing. Perhaps the thing I like most, though, is his ability to reference rather seemingly innocuous elements that seem so isolated and distinct and weave them together as part of a terribly intricate plot. Of course, that makes it very difficult to point out what the book is “about,” but as John Irving has said himself, if you are of a certain age, nobody should have to tell you what a book is “about.”

That being said, this book is about feminism, friendship, death, loss, cheating, marriage, parenthood, growing up, violence, rape, a horrible accident to a penis, toads, and of course, lust. As Jenny Fields, Garp’s mother, knows all to well, lust can be a horribly destructive force.

One of the things I liked best about the novel was a piece from John Irving himself at the end of the novel where he pointed out that one of his son’s thought that the theme of the novel was our need to want to protect those we love. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, our worst fears are realized. The tragedies suffered in this novel are almost unbearable to fathom, and they were made all the more heart-wrenching because you really felt that the characters loved and cared for one another. That fear of losing a child has got to be the worst thing ever, and for whatever reason, that idea resonated with me a bit because I think for parents who really love their children, fear of something happening to them is a universal fear.

Even now as a 30 year-old man, if folks in my family know I am going out for the evening I hear the phrase, “be careful, it’s a bad night out there.” I used to be so annoyed with that and think that it was completely embarrassing and silly. Now that I am older and I fully realize the depth and the place from which that concern comes, it makes me feel really loved.

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Jul 09, 2009 Cynthia Paschen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: the-list, myfavorites

This was such a pleasure to re-read. I think the first time I read it I was a newlywed living in Iowa City, Iowa about 27 years ago. I love these characters so much: Roberta Muldoon, Jenny Fields, Helen James, Bonkers, Mrs. Ralph, and of course the grandmother in "The Pension Grillparzer." ...more

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Feb 19, 2008 Syd rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I almost feel too humbled to say anything about this book. I am blown away by the creativity, the grittiness, and the pure humanity of this book. Even though I'm a reader, I rarely feel like I can't put a book down. I wanted to carry this book around with me in case I had a spare minute. This is my first time reading Irving, but it won't be the last. ...more

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