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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
This was a really, really interesting book. It was raw and real in a lot of ways I'm not used to in the "Classics" (not that I'm sure this qualifies, but we're going for it) and it was refreshing in that way.
Can't completely give it five stars just because I was impacted a little too heavily by some of the horrifying events in the book. I'm glad the author wasn't afraid to shy away from the possibilities of certain really awful things happening, but certain sections left me feeling really gross. This is probably a sign it was done effectively, and perhaps I'm upset that more wasn't done to address the childish behavior that led to some of the really awful things happening. Or at least, a stronger statement against acting like buffoons.
I was impressed at the recounting of the very first published story of Garp's. It was a story within a story within a story and that kind of meta-thinking existed throughout the novel. Talking about what goes into writing a good novel, and what might get in the way, etc.
I like that the main trans character was really robust, and that they weren't the only one. Having the book centered around feminism was kind of interesting, given that the protagonist was a male.
This book is definitely worth reading, not too hard to understand, but definitely messed up in places. REALLY messed up.
Up to you if you're up for that, but there's definitely stuff of value in here.
Can't completely give it five stars just because I was impacted a little too heavily by some of the horrifying events in the book. I'm glad the author wasn't afraid to shy away from the possibilities of certain really awful things happening, but certain sections left me feeling really gross. This is probably a sign it was done effectively, and perhaps I'm upset that more wasn't done to address the childish behavior that led to some of the really awful things happening. Or at least, a stronger statement against acting like buffoons.
I was impressed at the recounting of the very first published story of Garp's. It was a story within a story within a story and that kind of meta-thinking existed throughout the novel. Talking about what goes into writing a good novel, and what might get in the way, etc.
I like that the main trans character was really robust, and that they weren't the only one. Having the book centered around feminism was kind of interesting, given that the protagonist was a male.
This book is definitely worth reading, not too hard to understand, but definitely messed up in places. REALLY messed up.
Up to you if you're up for that, but there's definitely stuff of value in here.
Incredibly well written and hard to put down. Poignant and meaningful without seeming to try too hard. Would highly recommend, and likely worth a reread in the future.
I was way too young to read this book when I did. Some of the imagery still haunts me, but still a really good book.
Although the overall tone of the book was mostly sad I enjoyed reading it very much. Very well written and hard to put down.
dark
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Deadnaming
Minor: Cursing
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am completely at a loss to understand how this book is so popular and highly rated. It's hard to believe this is the same author as A Prayer for Owen Meany, which I loved. This was a book full of sex — rapes, extramarital affairs, Jenny Fields' questionable self-insemination via the infantile Technical Sergeant Garp — and gore — people getting shot, stabbed, their throats cut or genitals bitten off, a kid's eye being put out, people cutting out their own tongues. There were horrendously cringeworthy stereotypes in the characters of a "transsexual" and a "Negro" and mockery of fat people, gay people, uneducated people, people who stutter or lisp... It was just painful.
The book appears to be attempting to make some sort of commentary on gender and women's rights, but it does it in a very confused way that seems to be mocking feminism and "women's liberation" as often as it is vindicating it. The character of Roberta Muldoon seems to intentionally written to make some sort of point about gender, but it was hard to see what it was past all the cracks about her being large and manly. It's not that Irving is wrong about some of the infighting that has happened among feminist movements, it's that he doesn't handle this in a sensitive or nuanced way.
Among all of this mess there's the life story of Garp, a mediocre writer whose publisher eventually cashes in on his famous mother and life tragedies in order to make him rich and famous. Again, there's probably some lesson in here about the nature of creativity or the fickleness of the public or the vulgarity of the publishing industry, but I had a hard time finding it among the mundane plot points of "Garp published another book and no one really liked it but here's what every review said and what every person in his life said about it."
Maybe I'm just too dense to understand the brilliance of this book, but I thought it was pretty awful.
The book appears to be attempting to make some sort of commentary on gender and women's rights, but it does it in a very confused way that seems to be mocking feminism and "women's liberation" as often as it is vindicating it. The character of Roberta Muldoon seems to intentionally written to make some sort of point about gender, but it was hard to see what it was past all the cracks about her being large and manly. It's not that Irving is wrong about some of the infighting that has happened among feminist movements, it's that he doesn't handle this in a sensitive or nuanced way.
Among all of this mess there's the life story of Garp, a mediocre writer whose publisher eventually cashes in on his famous mother and life tragedies in order to make him rich and famous. Again, there's probably some lesson in here about the nature of creativity or the fickleness of the public or the vulgarity of the publishing industry, but I had a hard time finding it among the mundane plot points of "Garp published another book and no one really liked it but here's what every review said and what every person in his life said about it."
Maybe I'm just too dense to understand the brilliance of this book, but I thought it was pretty awful.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes