Overall Impression/Final Comments (SPOILER ALERT)

[Debra]

So what are you thoughts now that you've completed the novel?

[scherzo♫]

The book didn't interest me enough to comment section by section. I like books that are more emotionally engaging. Irving's technique of anticipating a scene/event, then describing some of the action, then returning to the event for further action/description is too distancing to feel much for the characters involved.

I do like the title.

[Lonnie]

My review:

Did it flow well and did I care what happened next? Flow was fairly good, probably 3 maybe 4 stars for flow of the book. The book was technically well written. Each paragraph had the proper grammar but the content kept me needing something else. Did I care what happened next. Not really. On a page by page level I really didn’t care. There was the few plot elements that were hanging out there somewhere that I wanted to know how they were resolved, thus the plodding on. 1 star for if I cared what happened next… maybe 2 at the most.

The endings killed me. I would read along and something would be tied up and a good place to end the book. Whoops… 100 pages left. Okay, another good place to end the book… 40 pages left, etc.

FOOD. Give me a break! If I wanted to read paragraph after paragraph how to prepare a dish or what comes in a dish I would read a cook book. I literally groaned out loud when I picked up the book and for the 30th time I had to read something about food.

Glad I read but wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

[Jennifer]

I gave it four stars. I found it suspenseful. I also liked his use of foreshadowing. Ketchum was such a superbly written character that I found myself thinking about him at random times. The deep love of the three men really demonstrates that families can be created from more than blood and I found that piece of the story moving. I thought the ending was rather random and a bit crazy. I understood it was Danny's big adventure similar to his father's adventure due to his last night at Twisted River but Cookie's unraveling made more sense and was sewn tighter. Amy wasn't explained enough and her and Danny didn't seem to match. Danny was so polished, athletic, handsome, and she seemed quite the opposite. Plus, how would such a brief encounter enable her to trace him all those years later?

[Linda]

For me the ending was the only part that I did enjoy. I liked the fact that Amy (Lady Skye) came back to Danny, but it was sort of odd because, they didn't really have a relationship the first time they met, other then him "saving her life" when she dropped into that pig pen. Danny thought about her all of the time - and I thought it was sweet that Irving brought them back together again, after he was alone, and he was lonely - who else could he have ended up with??? Irving is a rambler for sure - this was my first book by him and I am glad that I listened to the audio - mind you the audio is 20 disc!!! and that is a lot when the story doesn't grab you. I also enjoyed the friendship between Ketchum, Danny and Cookie, they really had a special bond. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen - why did King like this book - it just didn't happen for me - I give this book 2 stars.

[Bethany]

I enjoyed the book but was not a huge fan. I kept waiting for something to happen, which it did when Carl caught up with them, but then it just kept going. The final meeting with Amy didn;t do it for me. I loved Ketchum though. He is definitely a character that will stay with me.

[Debra]

Gosh... I can't decide between 2 stars and 3... it's weird. I've spent more time discussing this book than most any other book in my life! My sister and I have exclaimed, and complained, and WHY WHY WHY'd ourselves to death over this one! It certainly is going to stick with me a long time... is this just because it was so annoying? Cut the book in half, add a bit more suspense, maybe then it would be good? The Americana was good, Ketchum was great, but geesh... hmmmm.... it was just missing something essential. Sorry, Mr. King... just isn't one I'd highly recommend at all. Fortunately, I still have faith in his recommendations because I've read many others that were 4 and 5 stars.

Stephen King says: "It starts with the accidental killing of a Native American woman (the youngster who brains her with a skillet mistakes her for a bear). Father and son take off, pursued by the relentless Constable Carl for nearly 50 years. There’s a lot of Canada here, a lot of cookin’, and a lot of gorgeous (and cynical) Americana. Irving’s best since Garp."

Doesn't he make the book sound like a highly intriguing, suspensful read... a page-turner? I read 3 or 4 other books while I was plodding through this one?

Maybe we should move up the Oct-Nov read? I think we are DONE with this one!

[Lonnie]

Debra wrote: "Father and son take off, pursued by the relentless Constable Carl for nearly 50
years. ..."

I think this is part of my issue with the story. I never felt like they were 'pursued' at all. I feel like Carl showed up every 10 years or so when he stumbled across something. In my mind being pursued you are in cheap motels and escaping out the bathroom window when you see the car pull into the parking lot.

[Debra]

Lonnie wrote: "Debra wrote: "Father and son take off, pursued by the relentless Constable Carl for nearly 50
years. ..."

I think this is part of my issue with the story. I never felt like they were 'pursued' a..."

EXACTLY, Lonnie! A HOT pursuit of 2 fugitives who barely escape impending doom!

[Linda]

It is funny - how this wasn't that popular a book within the group - but we are talking about it a lot!!! LOL!!!

[Lonnie]

Isn't that the name of the game? Discussion is good. It reminds me of an anecdote I used to say about college:

“I was forced to take Art Appreciation in college. Before I took Art Appreciation I hated Picasso. Now that I have taken Art Appreciation I still hate Picasso… but now I know why.”

[Almeta, co-moderator]

Lonnie wrote: "Debra wrote: "Father and son take off, pursued by the relentless Constable Carl for nearly 50
years. ..."

I think this is part of my issue with the story. I never felt like they were 'pursued' a..."

I sooooo agree with this. I never actually thought that they were in jeaporady, and based on how poorly they "disguised" themselves, they should have been dead before Joe was ever born.

[Almeta, co-moderator]

Stephen King says: "It starts with the accidental killing of a Native American woman (the youngster who brains her with a skillet mistakes her for a bear). Father and son take off, pursued by the relentless Constable Carl for nearly 50 years. There’s a lot of Canada here, a lot of cookin’, and a lot of gorgeous (and cynical) Americana. Irving’s best since Garp.

Debra T says: Doesn't he make the book sound like a highly intriguing, suspensful read... a page-turner?

Maybe this is not really a recommendation! He stated facts, then compared to Garp. Maybe he didn't like Garp!

[Debra]

Linda wrote: "It is funny - how this wasn't that popular a book within the group - but we are talking about it a lot!!! LOL!!!"

Exactly! I'm beginning to think the book was better than I originally thought! lol

[Debra]

Lonnie wrote: "Isn't that the name of the game? Discussion is good. It reminds me of an anecdote I used to say about college:

“I was forced to take Art Appreciation in college. Before I took Art Appreciation ..."

Haha... too funny, Lonnie!

[Debra]

Almeta wrote: Debra T says: Doesn't he make the book sound like a highly intriguing, suspensful read... a page-turner?

Maybe this is not really a recommendation! He stated facts, then compared to Garp. Maybe he didn't like Garp! i>

But, but, but I LIKED Garp. Good point, though. Just the facts ma'am!

[Almeta, co-moderator]

Debra wrote: "Linda wrote: "It is funny - how this wasn't that popular a book within the group - but we are talking about it a lot!!! LOL!!!"

Exactly! I'm beginning to think the book was better than I origin..."

You are exactly right! I have been procrastinating on writing my review. I think I am actually going to rate it higher than I originally expected to. Still percolating!

It certainly generated lots of discussion, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. In fact I believe we will still think of something else to say about it.

I really liked the format of breaking the discussion into segments. I didn’t have to worry about spoiler alerts and I felt as if the dialog was closer to what it would be like in a face-to-face book discussion group.

[Anita]

I did like reading the book, except towards the end.

I agree with a lot of you that it wasn't suspensful, as one might have presumed from King's description of the book. And I wasn't so much into the characters that I was dying to know what's going to happen to them. I read The Hotel New Hampshire ages ago and was aware that bears are a big thing for Irwing. And so it seems, is sex, especially among relatives. Also for some reason the fact that a writer (Irwing) is writing about a writer (who's writing the book I'm reading) was a bit annoying. I wonder if I've read too many books or watched too many films lately (like Allen's) that have had a writer in them.

And the ending of this book was just too long. Most of the people had already died, there was nothing interesting left, nothing to be solved and the book just went on and on. I almost didn't finish the last 20-30 pages, because I felt that there can't be anything important I'd miss out on. And the whole thing with Amy in the end.... well, it gave us the happy ending, but the relationship didn't seem to have much to build on.

I did give the book 3 stars, because I definetely have read worse books. I did enjoy reading this one after all. I liked the vividly described world of the book. And I didn't mind reading about cooking and food. :)

[Debra]

Anita wrote: "I did like reading the book, except towards the end.

I agree with a lot of you that it wasn't suspensful, as one might have presumed from King's description of the book. And I wasn't so much into ..."

Thanks for your comments, Anita. Yours seem similar to others' reactions to the book. It seems that many of us were annoyed by various things, but that few of us thought the book deserved less than 3 stars. It certainly has been fun discussing it!

[Carmen]

Finished Twisted River. I have to say I like Irvings writing style a lot. I guess I just didn't connect with the father and son characters very well. They were just too wishy washy for me. Loved the strength and the passion of most of the women. The book also got a little too political for me towards the end. Don't let this one throw you off though, read Owen Meany, it is soooo good.

[Debra]

Carmen wrote: "Finished Twisted River. I have to say I like Irvings writing style a lot. I guess I just didn't connect with the father and son characters very well. They were just too wishy washy for me. Loved th..."

Thanks for the tip about A Prayer for Owen Meany. I don't think I'm done with Irving quite yet!

[Linda]

I want to try A Prayer for Owen Meany. I heard the audio is fabulous.

[Almeta, co-moderator]

As a lifetime achievement, John Irving, National Wrestling Hall of Famer, certainly aims to tussle with a lot of bears!

I struggled with my thoughts about reviewing this book and put it off for quite a while, despite the prodding of my sister and the poking of my own guilt. This is the conflict of Love/Hate relationships!

We think we can hide better than Dominic and Danny, make better life choices than Six Pack Pam and Injun Jane, keep our promises better than Lady Skye, we even want Ketchum to become a murderer!

Why, if we, had written this book, things would be sooo different. Guess what, we didn’t write this book, and life isn’t scripted. Implausible choices are made on a daily basis. It is part of human nature. Irving sure prompted an animated discussion. Leave book writing to the professionals.

Professional this was. He gives insight on how he writes by telling us how the character Danny writes, (view spoiler)[ back to front, I found fascinating (hide spoiler)] . Danny puts his and his father's life experiences in his novels and thinly veils them as fiction. John may be revealing some autobiographical stuff himself? (view spoiler)[I hope he made love to a naked skydiver. (hide spoiler)]

I wonder if John Irving ever hit anybody in the noggin with a cast iron skillet? (view spoiler)[ It may have been me! (hide spoiler)]

[Debra]

Almeta wrote: "As a lifetime achievement, John Irving, National Wrestling Hall of Famer, certainly aims to tussle with a lot of bears!

I struggled with my thoughts about reviewing this book and put it off fo..."

As always, you make me snicker and giggle. Thanks for FINALLY giving us your final impression of this book, Almeta!

[Almeta, co-moderator]

Jul 24, 2012 Debra wrote: "Do you guys realize it's been a full year since our first group read Last Night in Twisted River? A WHOLE YEAR! Wow! Where has the time gone? We certainly had fun reading and discussing THAT book. It was one people loved or loved to hate. It has stuck with me all this time...."

Yet Another Year!!!!

Ran across this interesting interview, with thoughts about Last Night in Twisted River.

Hard to not like John Irving. Is it time to read him again?☻