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Summary: Unforgettable
Review: Years ago, I came across this book in a pile of junk at my Mom's house. I sat down and took a glance at the first chapter, and didn't quit reading until I was finished. These characters have remained with me for about 15 years. For those of you that say the worlds discussed by Irving are much stranger than reality; that's a bunch of crap. Irving just magnifies the quirks and urges that exist in everyone a little bit. (OK, maybe more than a little.)
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Summary: Listening to Garp is almost as good as reading it.
Review: John Irving's introduction is wonderful: warm, funny, and his voice is what one would expect Garp's to be. Michael Prichard was a disappointment, initially, after listening to Irving, but he came to be "the voice" of Garp. He has slightly different inflections for each voice, without being over-the-top about it. His inflection for Irving's comic asides is sometimes not how I would have emphasized the words; however, that is a matter of personal opinion. Having read Garp almost once a year since the early '80's, I have a feel for some of the major lines. Who could resist reciting from memory along with Prichard Jenny Field's famous line, "In this dirty-minded world you're either somebody's wife or somebody's whore. Or fast on your way to becoming one or the other."? Garp rules.
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Summary: This novel makes you think, reason, and wonder!
Review: The World According to Garp was a wonderful novel. My AP American History teacher, recommend that I read it. I'm 16 years old, and I think everyone should read this novel, as a teenager. It may touch a lot on sex, but it is more than just sex. IT shows so much what todays culture is. I read this lengthy novel in three days, I couldn't put it down once I began. It makes you think so hard, about your life, and your struggles. I can't put just one theme on this book..or really figure out what the thesis was. It was just a wonderful novel, that actually tells quite a few diffrent stories. But they all tie together in the end. Often during the book I was stumped with the question of "what is this book about." NOnetheless, it is only important what I got out of it..and not trying to analazye what we should get out of it. IT truly was a great booK!
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Summary: Irving's Imagination Knows no Limits.
Review: When The World According to Garp was first published I had just been born. I must confess that until recently I had never heard of this book. Then, Irving publishes A Widow for One Year and all of a sudden everything I read seems to carry a glowing review of that book. More importantly, all reviews have wistful references to Garp and the impact the book had on American culture. Since I'm a lover of good literature, I bought the book in order to find out what the hoopla was all about. Gee, I wasn't disappointed. This book is so imaginative, complex, funny, and yes, weird, that I could not stop reading. Yet, despite the book's wild plot and unorthodox characters, we must not be fooled: this is a book that deals with serious issues. In addition, Irving's ability to include stories-within-the-story further confirms his gifts as a storyteller. I didn't give the book 5 Stars because I felt the last chapter was not needed--somehow it detracted from the book as a whole.
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Summary: A must for everyone !!
Review: The world according to me !!! This is one of the best books I've ever read if not the best. READ IT AND ENJOY IT !
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Summary: Owen Meany is better
Review: A decent book. Nice and weird, and I like that. But if you want to try Irving, don't start with this, even though it is his most famous book. A Prayer for Owen Meany is a life-changing experience. At the very least, it will give you characters who become part of your life. While Garp was interesting, I wasn't too concerned about what happened to the characters. They didn't come to life like Owen and friends. And if you have read Garp and didn't like it, still try Owen Meany--they are very different books. This review is a plug for another novel--sorry.
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Summary: "Garp" has had a profound influence on its readers.
Review: In 1983 my now ex-wife bought for me a copy of "The World According to Garp." I was a freshman accounting student at Oral Roberts University. It was my first novel, really. It is still one of the top five on my all-time-great-novels list; I am a second-year American Literature grad student at SMSU, where I teach composition. "Garp" and Irving are important characters in the story of my life. The last time I read it, I read it aloud to my roommate. Irving doesn't need, here from me, an objective evaluation of "Garp;" there are several on this site! Thanks, John Irving. .
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Summary: Entertainment Galore
Review: Garp's whole life is a roller coaster ride of emotions. I think I busted a gut when he bit the doggie's ear off. The 1st Irving novel I read, and many since this one, I have become a true fan. The movie stunk as far as the book goes. (Doesn't it always??) Garp is pure entertainment - crying & laughing all the way to the end.
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Summary: amazed by the reviews
Review: Someone thinks John Irving writes about sex too much. How sad that people only see the words on the page, and not the story. I loved World According to Garp when i first read it, and enjoy further still when i re-read it (often) I appreciate the way that John Irving writes about women, and have been hard-pressed to find another male author that can touch the feelings adequately. There are so many images from this book that have stayed with me. The Ellen James', the 'undertoad'. i saw this book as a wonderful, touching book of family, of belonging. With each book John Irving gets better. I await his new book "Widow for one year" eagerly. END
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Summary: I loved it.
Review: I first read the World According to Garp about fifteen years ago. At the time I was about fourteen years old, and up to that time it was the thickest book I ever read. Since then I've read many books, but I have to say in all honesty that Garp was one of the most memorable books I've ever read. Ofcourse not all the characters all believable. But the way Irving tells the story really makes the novel. You simply don't want it to end. Irving has built an entire career as a writer based on the success of this book. If you choose to read it, you'll see why. I recommend to anybody that loves to read.
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