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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The plot was quite slow, but every time I felt bored enough to stop, there was a sudden twist which compelled me to continue reading, which on second thoughts, was not at all worth the effort.
His characters felt exaggerated. Eddie's obsession with Marion was clearly unhealthy. as was Ted's creepier obsession with younger women. Hannah felt larger than life, and Ruth rushed into marriages quicker and more impulsively than Ross Geller
His characters felt exaggerated. Eddie's obsession with Marion was clearly unhealthy. as was Ted's creepier obsession with younger women. Hannah felt larger than life, and Ruth rushed into marriages quicker and more impulsively than Ross Geller
It's no Cider House Rules, but Irving's deep grasp of character (making them more than idiosyncrasies) shows his immense talent for modern fiction. However, that doesn't always leave a character one can like. (and yeah, Irving isn't great at women characters).
Not his most memorable effort, but it's a worthwhile read if you're looking for schmaltz tempered with dark comedy. To be honest though, I skimmed the last hundred pages or so, simply because I wanted to finish the book. I don't know if it had to be 500+ pages.
Not his most memorable effort, but it's a worthwhile read if you're looking for schmaltz tempered with dark comedy. To be honest though, I skimmed the last hundred pages or so, simply because I wanted to finish the book. I don't know if it had to be 500+ pages.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have read a few John Irving books and I ususally like them. I happened upon this one by chance at a used book store, and decided to give it a read. It took me four months to get through it. John Irving's book are generally lengthy, and I was determined to finish it beacause you really never know where his stories will take you.
I really didn't like it. Even by the end. I didn't care for the characters or the storyline. I especially didn't care for the tangents that drifted from the storyline in order to spend some time describing Ted Cole's books.
I really didn't like it. Even by the end. I didn't care for the characters or the storyline. I especially didn't care for the tangents that drifted from the storyline in order to spend some time describing Ted Cole's books.
Out of all the John Irving books I've read so far, I would place this book behind Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meaning. It is still a riveting read, but Irving, in my opinion, is one of the best living American novelists, and a really good novel can still be dwarfed by his other works.
This book is mainly a book about authors and the novel writing process. It seems like every character ends up being an author, and Irving shows how "imagining stuff up" can be extremely hard for novelists as every author-character dips into the well of his or her own experience to write.
A lot of things happen in A Widow for One Year, but Cider House Rules and Owen Meaning are more closely unified around a single main idea that drives the force of the novel (CHR=Abortion OM=Religion).
If you are looking at diving into Irving, I would start with Cider House Rules and/or Owen Meaning. I haven't read The World According to Garp, which I hear is great, but A Window of One Year is a good novel to read after starting somewhere else in Irving's corpus.
This book is mainly a book about authors and the novel writing process. It seems like every character ends up being an author, and Irving shows how "imagining stuff up" can be extremely hard for novelists as every author-character dips into the well of his or her own experience to write.
A lot of things happen in A Widow for One Year, but Cider House Rules and Owen Meaning are more closely unified around a single main idea that drives the force of the novel (CHR=Abortion OM=Religion).
If you are looking at diving into Irving, I would start with Cider House Rules and/or Owen Meaning. I haven't read The World According to Garp, which I hear is great, but A Window of One Year is a good novel to read after starting somewhere else in Irving's corpus.
This is a novel, not fiction. The difference is you believe everything that occurs herein could actually happen to you. The book, the sadness, the honesty really feels authentic. The start was a bit of a struggle but then you hit a stride where the pages fly by and the plot thickens.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
John Irving redeemed himself for me with this book. I was not into Twisted River and worried about jumping into another Irving book so soon, but I was deeply enthralled with Ruth's life. Such an interesting woman who can really care for herself. Her indifference to the fate of her father made me envy her. No regrets. In this day when women are waiting longer to get married and have kids, I think she plays that role well. I also love how Irving intertwines the workings of a writer in his books. It is informative and interesting to know how the process works for some authors.