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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
John Irving’s The World According to Garp is a rich tapestry of life, love, and the absurdities that shape us, and it holds a special place in my heart. One of the most striking aspects of the novel is its exploration of storytelling itself, particularly through Garp’s journey as a writer. The short story within the novel, The Pension Grillparzer, had a profound impact on me. Its mix of surreal humor, poignant emotion, and vivid characters was unlike anything I had encountered before.
Reading The Pension Grillparzer felt like a door opening to a new world of creative possibilities. It wasn’t just a story within a story; it was a masterclass in blending whimsy with depth. Inspired by Irving’s ability to create something so unique yet universally resonant, I wrote my very first short story. It was my attempt to capture that same balance of the fantastical and the deeply human—a theme that continues to influence my writing today.
Irving’s novel is more than a compelling narrative; it’s a celebration of the messy, beautiful act of creating art. As Garp grapples with his own fears, desires, and ambitions, Irving reminds us that stories have the power to transform both writer and reader. For me, The World According to Garp isn’t just a book I love—it’s the spark that ignited my own journey as a writer.
Reading The Pension Grillparzer felt like a door opening to a new world of creative possibilities. It wasn’t just a story within a story; it was a masterclass in blending whimsy with depth. Inspired by Irving’s ability to create something so unique yet universally resonant, I wrote my very first short story. It was my attempt to capture that same balance of the fantastical and the deeply human—a theme that continues to influence my writing today.
Irving’s novel is more than a compelling narrative; it’s a celebration of the messy, beautiful act of creating art. As Garp grapples with his own fears, desires, and ambitions, Irving reminds us that stories have the power to transform both writer and reader. For me, The World According to Garp isn’t just a book I love—it’s the spark that ignited my own journey as a writer.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A memorable novel. The improbable characters are well drawn, the creativity in the book is a marvel , including this idea of a "mise en abîme" with the book(s) inside the book.
emotional
funny
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
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love John Irving. He’s such a tremendous writer. I’ve been wanting to watch this movie, but I had to read the book first. Now I’ve done both. The book is significantly better (though it was lovely to see Robin Williams embody the role). It follows a man named Garp from conception to death. His mother is a world famous feminist author and personality. He’s trying to find his own footing in the literary world outside of her. He’s a husband and a father who loves his family (he’s an intensely hands on dad who is very physically affectionate, which is lovely to read), but he struggles to keep his anxieties from manifesting into reality. Irving has this way of straddling heartbreak and humor, and he highlights the absurdity in both. This copy had a forward by Irving, written recently, that really spoke to the time we’re living in, specifically when it comes to the rampant transphobia the current administration is espousing. The trans character in this book, Roberta Muldoon, was groundbreaking at the time. A lot of trans characters who followed were able to exist because of her. Is it ideal that a straight white man did that? No. But considering the era this came out of, it’s still pretty foundational literature. A lover of literary fiction would get a lot out of this book.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
"'You only grow by coming to the end of something and by beginning something else.' Even if these so-called endings and beginnings are illusions."
I loved this laugh-out-loud story featuring Garp and his "sexual suspect" mother, Jenny. Speaking of Jenny, I haven't enjoyed spending time with a character more since Ignatius J. Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces. She is fabulous! But she is not the only brilliant character -- there are many, many, many more in this story within a story within Garp's world. Come to think of it, every character in Garp's world is an original.
My first experience with John Irving was A Prayer for Owen Meany. I was completely blown away and think it is a perfect story. It is one of my favourites. Unfortunately, I read Irving now through Owen Meany glasses. I don't mean to, but I do.
I tried to read Garp for its own merits and not compare the two. As previously stated, the characters were eccentric and interesting, the story was funny, moving, astonishing, fearless, insightful, and (surprisingly) enlightened. These characters wouldn't look out-of-place in 2019, even though Irving wrote it in the 1970s. It really says a lot that we humans haven't really progressed as much as we'd hoped.
Read it for the characters but stay for the story. It really is a must-read!
I loved this laugh-out-loud story featuring Garp and his "sexual suspect" mother, Jenny. Speaking of Jenny, I haven't enjoyed spending time with a character more since Ignatius J. Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces. She is fabulous! But she is not the only brilliant character -- there are many, many, many more in this story within a story within Garp's world. Come to think of it, every character in Garp's world is an original.
My first experience with John Irving was A Prayer for Owen Meany. I was completely blown away and think it is a perfect story. It is one of my favourites. Unfortunately, I read Irving now through Owen Meany glasses. I don't mean to, but I do.
I tried to read Garp for its own merits and not compare the two. As previously stated, the characters were eccentric and interesting, the story was funny, moving, astonishing, fearless, insightful, and (surprisingly) enlightened. These characters wouldn't look out-of-place in 2019, even though Irving wrote it in the 1970s. It really says a lot that we humans haven't really progressed as much as we'd hoped.
Read it for the characters but stay for the story. It really is a must-read!
An absolutely wonderful book. As the forward said, it's unfortunate that this book is still relevant today. The World According to Garp is an exploration of how we judge others for personal decisions. It forces the issue with absurd situations (like the conceiving of Garp) and with realistic but potentially uncomfortable situations, . It grapples with women rights and trans rights. John Irving does an excellent job of framing the challenges faced by these people and their different responses to the problem. He asks us to consider what they're feeling and if we disagree with their response does anyone gain anything from confronting them?
While much of the novel deals with inequalities in our society, it also focuses on tragedy and death. Irving depicts a healthy response to. How a family can accept that tragedy, grieve in their own ways, and ultimately move forward with their lives. It's not easy. It takes time. But it can be done. We also see an inappropriate response to tragedy through a side character, . Through Garp we get a particularly interesting perspective on how difficult it can be for an artist to move past a tragedy. To keep it from becoming the central and only focus of their work.
Through all of this, Irving focuses on the how personal perception of our work and world can differ significantly from how other perceive the same thing. He touches on how we have a tendency to use people as symbols when we rarely consider how they feel about being made a symbol or if they agree with all the ideas and actions being attached to them.
While the ideas in this novel are big, what really makes it a pleasure to read are the characters. They all have strengths and weaknesses. None of them are "the best" at anything. They all mess up. In the words of the book, they feel true.
The only stumbling point for this book is that some of the dialogue feels a touch stilted in the midst of such a "true" feeling book.
Spoiler
the Garps' and Fletchers' relationshipWhile much of the novel deals with inequalities in our society, it also focuses on tragedy and death. Irving depicts a healthy response to
Spoiler
a child's deathSpoiler
Pooh Percy blames Garp for her sister's death and lets her hate for him direct her lifeThrough all of this, Irving focuses on the how personal perception of our work and world can differ significantly from how other perceive the same thing. He touches on how we have a tendency to use people as symbols when we rarely consider how they feel about being made a symbol or if they agree with all the ideas and actions being attached to them.
While the ideas in this novel are big, what really makes it a pleasure to read are the characters. They all have strengths and weaknesses. None of them are "the best" at anything. They all mess up. In the words of the book, they feel true.
The only stumbling point for this book is that some of the dialogue feels a touch stilted in the midst of such a "true" feeling book.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced