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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
I just thought this book was ok. It seemed long-winded and I found myself skipping entire passages and even pages sometimes! I liked it, but I never felt invested in the characters.
While I recognize that this book was well-written (hence the 2nd star), the plot is so wishy-washy and is all over the place. The characters are likable enough, but I never really connected to them. Fortunately, the third and final part was better than the first two, which isn't saying much.
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
- the lives of ruth cole, her parents, and eddie o'hare, her father's-assistant-turned-mother's-lover
- after reading the cider house rules i was afraid irving had lost his charm for me, but this one brought it right back - love the quirky characters and hijinks, especially during the portion where marion leaves ted
- love the stories within the story
- also loved (what i can only assume is) john irving poking fun at himself/general discussion around autobiographical fiction/how much is too much/can it be considered creative
- still a lot about ruth's later life fell flat for me, particularly her relationships. even though we've spent the whole book following her, i felt we didn't get to know her super well. there was always a bit of spearation.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Honestly, I couldn't finish it. Terribly tedious and I don't feel at all connected to the characters.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This may be the last John Irving book I read for a while. He is my favorite author, one who inspired me to become a writer myself. A Prayer for Owen Meany, Cider House Rules, The Hotel New Hampshire, and Last Night in Twisted River are all great books. This reads more like a patchwork of Irving's ideas that have not been fully formed. He appears to still be writing out loud possible plots and character details, but fails to refine them enough. He gives a million details when only half of them give interesting character insights and drive the plot forward.
I sound off another critique that others have stated in reviews of his other books. It has slowly creeped up on me, but has become the final blow. He cannot write female characters very well. Actually, I modify that a bit by saying his female characters are nearly identical copies of two different types--the most common one being the one I will describe. The reality is, I rarely interact with or befriend women in real life who resemble his female characters. They are harsh, vulgar, unsentimental, emotionally closed-off, detached, unfeeling, irritating, unfriendly, and lack all nurturing qualities.
His prose is still reliably, Irving--full of details adding history, and peculiarity to characters and places.
Several novels later it has become clear which themes, and events must be biographical from Irving's life. His own psychology is on open display here. I believe in a recent interview Irving revealed that he was "deflowered" by an older woman when he was only a teenager--a much older woman--which not only happens as a central event in this book, but holds as a theme common to his other novels. Additionally, you will read about orphanesque characters, surprising deaths, sexual "deviants", and writers with specific passages and plot-lines from the fictitious novels included in A Widow for One Year.
This is my least favorite Irving book next to The World According to Garp. Whenever I am ready to end my break from Irving, I plan to read Until I Find You. Until then, I am after other authors with equal interest in orphan archetypes, comical characters, tragic family dynamics set in quaint or idyllic backdrops, and a love for quirky personal qualities.
Irving is a phenomenal writer, but I recommend any of his other books besides this one.
I feel compelled to write this again. His female characters are terribly unappealing. If Irving could write a female character I could fall in love with, then I would be hooked for life. In the end, I believe Irving and I just have difference preferences in women. I wish I didn't have to accept that.
I sound off another critique that others have stated in reviews of his other books. It has slowly creeped up on me, but has become the final blow. He cannot write female characters very well. Actually, I modify that a bit by saying his female characters are nearly identical copies of two different types--the most common one being the one I will describe. The reality is, I rarely interact with or befriend women in real life who resemble his female characters. They are harsh, vulgar, unsentimental, emotionally closed-off, detached, unfeeling, irritating, unfriendly, and lack all nurturing qualities.
His prose is still reliably, Irving--full of details adding history, and peculiarity to characters and places.
Several novels later it has become clear which themes, and events must be biographical from Irving's life. His own psychology is on open display here. I believe in a recent interview Irving revealed that he was "deflowered" by an older woman when he was only a teenager--a much older woman--which not only happens as a central event in this book, but holds as a theme common to his other novels. Additionally, you will read about orphanesque characters, surprising deaths, sexual "deviants", and writers with specific passages and plot-lines from the fictitious novels included in A Widow for One Year.
This is my least favorite Irving book next to The World According to Garp. Whenever I am ready to end my break from Irving, I plan to read Until I Find You. Until then, I am after other authors with equal interest in orphan archetypes, comical characters, tragic family dynamics set in quaint or idyllic backdrops, and a love for quirky personal qualities.
Irving is a phenomenal writer, but I recommend any of his other books besides this one.
I feel compelled to write this again. His female characters are terribly unappealing. If Irving could write a female character I could fall in love with, then I would be hooked for life. In the end, I believe Irving and I just have difference preferences in women. I wish I didn't have to accept that.
i'm just pretty much obsessed with anything written by john irving. he's an incredibly adept, and quintessentially american storyteller. he typically turns his gaze to the immensely, and unfairly underrepresented in literature, american genus of "northeastern wasps," and, apparently, that's just my thing...
I found the first half better than the second. Once the POV changed (switched to Ruth's perspective), the story went downhill and never picked back up. Solid 2 stars.