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mdelguercio's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
ckadams5's review against another edition
3.0
I can't decide whether my favorite novel of all time is "To Kill A Mockingbird" or "A Prayer for Owen Meany." So I decided I would read all novels by both authors. Harper Lee is is easy (though I haven't gotten around to Go Set A Watchman, yet.) John Irving not so much. So I have been working through two or three Irving novels a year. I had to take a break after the last one I read (Until I Find You), though--it nearly put me off of the Irving project for good. A Widow For One Year is better--there are flashes of the insight into human nature (simul iustus et peccator, saint & sinner, total depravity & created in God's image) that I see in the best of Irving's writing. But Irving also clearly has issues with women--his female characters are mostly unbelievable or transparent or built around one characteristic--and his fixation on certain twisted forms of sexuality make him hard to take at times. This is not A Prayer for Owen Meany. But it isn't Until I Find You, either. I didn't get much out of it, but your mileage might vary.
alice_horoshev's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved the bit about the gardener.
karenbacke's review against another edition
1.0
HATED this. I tried a few other Irvings to get the high I did w/Owen Meany, but this was another array of the same Irving stock characters, events and sexcapades, but even more tiresome.
alixgb's review against another edition
3.0
The book is written in three parts. It begins with the main character's (Ruth) childhood from the point of view of her mother's lover and then jumps to her in adulthood. The last part is from a separate character's point of view and felt disjointed. A majority of the characters are writers and the excerpts of their writing within the story didn't help the chunky feel of the novel. It literally feels like a different book is written into the middle. I appreciated the unique characters and gender themes. Strangely told, but an interesting read.
sarajaneandtall's review against another edition
4.0
Gripping, disturbing, frustrating, and pretty wonderfully strange.
aks_maine's review against another edition
4.0
I had a hard time determining if I actually liked this book, or if my enjoyment simply came from the fact that A Widow For One Year is EONS better than the last John Irving book that I read (Until I Find You). Thinking it over, I have decided that I actually really liked the story. It was nowhere near Hotel NH, Owen Meany, Garp, or Cider House Rules, but I really enjoyed the characters and the plot line. The first section is the strongest part of the book, but it's worth it to see how the rest of the life comes together. One thing that I found interesting was that the primary main character (that sounds redundant, but it makes sense - I swear) was a woman, which goes from JI's usual style of having the focus be on a man. He wrote it well and had some really strong characters. Not a classic, but very good none the less.