A review by eggbeater
The Last Chairlift by John Irving

emotional funny reflective sad slow-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

5.0

This is a 900 page book. That, in itself, makes it not for everyone, but it is perfect for me because the characters are so endearingly strange. Sometimes the plot is slow and resembles historical political commentary--definitely left leaning. Sometimes it's riveting drama, and people start dropping like Game of Thrones. The story is quite poignant and reflective, but everyone's sexual foibles had me laughing out loud like a loon. There are common John Irving themes: a straight, cisgender man and everyone he loves is part of the LGBTQ community, there's wresting, of course, and writing. And then there are the addition of the quirky ghosts and his girlfriends' reactions to them. The screenplay episodes took a minute for me to get used to, but they make sense when I realize Adam has to remain detached when recounting certain parts of his life. If you like John Irving's other books, this one won't let you down.