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A review by jess_mango
The World According to Garp by John Irving
5.0
4.5 stars
Up to this point in my life, I've read a handful of books by John Irving and have a couple more sitting waiting for me on my TBR shelf. I've read: [b:The Cider House Rules|4687|The Cider House Rules|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327962519l/4687._SY75_.jpg|3875895], [b:A Widow for One Year|4659|A Widow for One Year|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554220946l/4659._SY75_.jpg|3359767], [b:A Prayer for Owen Meany|4473|A Prayer for Owen Meany|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1260470010l/4473._SY75_.jpg|1734019], [b:The Fourth Hand|4656|The Fourth Hand|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375776688l/4656._SY75_.jpg|1137643], [b:The Water-Method Man|4657|The Water-Method Man|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386925069l/4657._SY75_.jpg|2342047], and [b:The 158-Pound Marriage|4660|The 158-Pound Marriage|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388184362l/4660._SY75_.jpg|1831615]. The two books that I have waiting on my shelf are [b:A Son of the Circus|7073|A Son of the Circus|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1561342994l/7073._SX50_.jpg|1323492] and [b:Until I Find You|9355|Until I Find You|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388193718l/9355._SY75_.jpg|2269323].
So yeah, I am a bit of an Irving fan. Which is why it is kind of surprising that it took me this long to read his most popular book (most popular based on his goodreads author page). AND I am so glad that I finally got to read it. This book was everything I love about Irving. In turns dark, humorous, clever, sentimental, weird...
Our protagonist T.S. Garp (no, the initials do not stand for anything) is conceived in a non-traditional way by his mother Jenny. Jenny is a nurse and has some feminist ideas but doesn't consider herself a feminist. Jenny receives notoriety after she publishes her memoir which is claimed as a seminal work by feminists. Garp has aspirations of his own to be a writer. Garp is a complex but ultimately sympathetic protagonist, in my opinion.
Since this is Irving, there is a bear somewhere in the story, of course. :)
Up to this point in my life, I've read a handful of books by John Irving and have a couple more sitting waiting for me on my TBR shelf. I've read: [b:The Cider House Rules|4687|The Cider House Rules|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327962519l/4687._SY75_.jpg|3875895], [b:A Widow for One Year|4659|A Widow for One Year|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554220946l/4659._SY75_.jpg|3359767], [b:A Prayer for Owen Meany|4473|A Prayer for Owen Meany|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1260470010l/4473._SY75_.jpg|1734019], [b:The Fourth Hand|4656|The Fourth Hand|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375776688l/4656._SY75_.jpg|1137643], [b:The Water-Method Man|4657|The Water-Method Man|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386925069l/4657._SY75_.jpg|2342047], and [b:The 158-Pound Marriage|4660|The 158-Pound Marriage|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388184362l/4660._SY75_.jpg|1831615]. The two books that I have waiting on my shelf are [b:A Son of the Circus|7073|A Son of the Circus|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1561342994l/7073._SX50_.jpg|1323492] and [b:Until I Find You|9355|Until I Find You|John Irving|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388193718l/9355._SY75_.jpg|2269323].
So yeah, I am a bit of an Irving fan. Which is why it is kind of surprising that it took me this long to read his most popular book (most popular based on his goodreads author page). AND I am so glad that I finally got to read it. This book was everything I love about Irving. In turns dark, humorous, clever, sentimental, weird...
Our protagonist T.S. Garp (no, the initials do not stand for anything) is conceived in a non-traditional way by his mother Jenny. Jenny is a nurse and has some feminist ideas but doesn't consider herself a feminist. Jenny receives notoriety after she publishes her memoir which is claimed as a seminal work by feminists. Garp has aspirations of his own to be a writer. Garp is a complex but ultimately sympathetic protagonist, in my opinion.
Since this is Irving, there is a bear somewhere in the story, of course. :)