The World According to Garp

Rating:
Summary: Competant
Review: I have read lots of Irving's books and this is not one of his best I am sorry to say. I liked it; it made me laugh a lot and want to keep reading, but reading other peoples' reviews I agree there seems to be too much sex-related material. Enough is enough Mr Irving! I especially found the chapter about Garp, Helen, Harrison and Alice's little "crisis" to be a little appalling. Also, it's hard to sympathize with Garp when he's such a pathetic character. I lost track of how many times he cheats on his wife. Liked "Prayer for Owen Meany" and "Cider House Rules" much much better but this is still worth a read.

Rating:
Summary: Neverending story of Irving¡'s fantasy
Review: At the time I am writing my university diploma work about life and work of John Irving, because I found his style of writing amazing and simply great. His enormous fantasy gives the reader oportunity not to loose his own one! Now I am searching for any details concerning his person or work. I strongly recomend this book!!!

Rating:
Summary: Modern Library publishes a new introduction by John Irving
Review: John Irving has written a new introduction to THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP for the Modern Library edition of his book that is published to coincide with his new novel A WIDOW FOR ONE YEAR. In his introduction, Irving meditates on GARP twenty years after its first publication. The ML edition features a picture from the late 70s of the author sitting on the trunk of his Volvo that bears the registration plate "Garp"....

Rating:
Summary: Zany Characters, Absurd Plotting, Memorable Scenes, Sex
Review: If Mark Leyner writes his novels while "needing to pee very badly,' Irving wrote this one while masturbating profoundly, if that's possible. The Irving touches: Zany characters, absurd plotting, and memorable scences populate "World According to Garp," but I feel that this one is so sexually driven, it detracts from the genius of the author. One of the aspects that was most pleasing about this one however was that the protagonist was a writer; I'm a sucker for these. My favorite character would have to be Roberta, the ex-football player/now-transsexual who's vision was only heigtened by John Lithgow's portrayal in the film adaptation. I also like the story-within-a story format, and I have to admit that "The Pension Grillparzer by T.S. Garp" made me laugh harder than the rest of the text. As with all Irving work, the melodrama is hiding beneath the exterior shell, but here it is more light-hearted and practically laughable, making the entire novel easier to slog through. The constant sexual references became an annoyance after awhile and I feel that the novel could be more effective without them. I have nothing against sex in writing, especially when it is important to a plot or part of the writer's character. I just feel that Irving was out of his league in this sense. Believe it or not, I enjoyed this one much better than the critcally acclaimed "A Prayer for Owen Meany," for the reasons stated above. Irving creates some wonderful stuff and is obviously one of our best contemporary absurdist authors. "The World According to Garp"-- Not fantastic, but not squalid.

Rating:
Summary: It WILL change the way you view life
Review: S*** HAPPENS. You probably thought this term originated in bootleg Calvin-and-Hobbes T-Shirts. NOT SO, My friend! It was John Irving's thesis in writing Garp. If you saw the Robin Williams film, I URGE you to now read the book. There are so many more crazy things in the book, such as "Mrs Ralph." I re-read this book whenever I am uncertain about life. It gives me a grin not unlike that on Robin Williams' face as he whined, "I'm flying." Truly inspirational, and wickedly funny, this book should be remembered as one of our times' best books.

Rating:
Summary: Spitting into the wind
Review: I have several friends with whom I have argued passionately about Irving over the years. Why is it that we love some authors and hate others? For me, Irving is the most plastic and shallow writer I have ever encountered, with the most contrived characters I have ever met. I have wondered about the process of the creation of some of the bizarrely unbelievable characters. "Well, I need a character here, and I will make him a former NFL star tight end who has had a sex change operation." Even to his fans, Irving's characters are a bit on the different side (well, OK, a lot on the different side). I find them utterly hollow and unbelievable. This falsity I find running throughout all of Irving's books. But THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP was the first one that I read, and therefore the one I hold in lowest regard. My friends and others are going to go on reading what I consider to be Irving's abominable books. I recommend reading something by A. S. Byatt or David Lodge or Robertson Davies instead.

Rating:
Summary: A Definite Classic
Review: For me, a novel is either a one or a ten. In fact, I have no patience for a book less than a ten. I'll give it a generous fifty pages to captivate me. If it does not, then I'll either put it back on the shelf or donate it for my neighbor's garage sale. From the first paragraph to the last, this novel is a definite ten. It is one of Irving's better works, rating alongside The Hotel New Hampshire.

Rating:
Summary: A book I will remember for the rest of my life
Review: This is the highest rating that I have ever given any book. I would recomend this book to anyone. I am sure that even "Mrs. Ralph" would get a laugh, tear, and sense of fufilment out of this excellent novel.

Rating:
Summary: I personaly think that the world according to G.is perfect
Review: Words escape your mouth when trying to evaluate the master piece of john Irving the world according to Garp so what I am going to add to this evaluation is that the world according to Garp is just "Perfect".

Rating:
Summary: Get to know Garp
Review: Although I agree that PARTS of this book were depressing, it also had its light moments and its humorous moments. Garp is an unusal character, from conception to death. I could not put this book down, and I would recommend it to everyone. I think most people would want to know a character like Garp.