rachelack 's review for:

The World According to Garp by John Irving

3.0

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Odd feeling about this one. This book felt like to took forever to finish, but only because it is so, SO dense. The character of T.S. Garp is so intricately constructed that at times, you almost forget this is a fictional person. I can see why this book is considered great - the themes, motifs, allusions, symbolism - it's all there. I'd love to hear a Helen Holm-esque English professor's take on it. The stories-within-stories and all that they represent could fill their own book. But just because it was very artfully done doesn't mean I had to love it.

I'm glad I got through it because it's beautifully crafted, and I did get attached to several of the characters, but I'm really just glad I'm done!