Friday, January 09, 2026

Shit--now I have to read this book--

The World According to Garp Novel by John Irving OverviewReviewsGet bookMore By Author The World According to Garp is John Irving's 1978 breakout novel, a tragicomic story following T.S. Garp, the son of a feminist leader, as he navigates life, love, and writing amidst a world of sexual politics, violence, and absurdity. The book explores themes of feminism, gender roles, and mortality through the lives of its eccentric characters, including Garp's mother, Jenny Fields, and his wife, Helen Holm, blending humor with dark and violent events. It was a major bestseller and won the National Book Award for Fiction. Key aspects of the novel: Protagonist: T.S. Garp, an author and the son of a famous feminist, Jenny Fields. Central Characters: Jenny Fields, a single mother and feminist icon; Garp; his wife Helen Holm; and other memorable figures like Roberta Maldoon. Themes: Feminism, gender roles, sexuality, violence, parenthood, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world. Style: A blend of dark humor, tragedy, and absurdity, often described as a "soap opera" with serious undertones. Plot: Follows Garp from his unusual birth to his life as a writer, exploring his relationships and the world's reaction to his mother's legacy. Legacy: A major commercial and critical success that established Irving as a major literary voice, known for its memorable characters and exploration of complex social issues. The World According to Garp by John Irving - Goodreads Beautifully bawdy, is there any other way to describe it? Sex is funny--far from the holy institution many make it out to be--and ... Goodreads
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hy everyone should read World According to Garp : r/books Oct 14, 2023 — I loved it when I first read it as a teenager, probably because I'd never read anything like it. 20 years later, I re- Reddit · r/books
The World According To Garp by John Irving | Book Review Aug 23, 2024 — the story the characters the plot don't take a backseat to this claim of activism or this position of activism. he he ... YouTube ·
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