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Summary: Terrific early Irving
Review: My first John Irving was The World According to Garp and I've gone backwards from that point, having not read any of his later works. After Garp, I read The 158-Pound Marriage and then Setting Free the Bears, both wonderful in their own ways, especially as a portrait of a developing novelist. But it is with The Water Method Man the Irving really begins to blossom. All the quirky bits in the other novels really seem to flow together seamlessly here, in preparation for the magnum opus that would be Garp. The Water-Method Man is the story of Fred "Bogus" Trumper and his two main relationships with women: his marriage to Biggie and his subsequent relationship with Tulpen. (I love Irving's way with names--these are definitely not going to be confused with anyone you know.) Bogus failed at marriage and Irving implies that he is going down a similar path with Tulpen. His friend Ralph Packer is even documenting this fall on a film. The most interesting parts of the novel are actually those that take you out of the story for a moment. The POV changes throughout without warning: one moment Bogus is telling his story and with a paragraph change, it is being narrated about him. Along the way, Irving uses the epistolary format to tell part of the tale, and one chapter is, in its entirety, a transcript for the film. The title refers to a penile problem Bogus has and how his doctor tries to remedy it. This is a minor subplot, but it feeds the character of Bogus in subtle ways. Irving's early novels are always funny, lightly so, not laugh-out-loud, and The Water-Method Man is no exception. It's not a quick read, but is well worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: Why is this book not famous?
Review: My sister so loved the hero of this novel, Bogus Trumper, that she named her cat after him. And while I'm not a fan of the cat, I do love this novel. No other book has made me laugh so hard. One scene in particular had me gasping for breath (I won't ruin it by describing it-- suffice it to say that it involves a prophylactic and attempted infidelity and that you will know it when you come to it). The Water-Method Man is far from perfect; I don't suppose it will hold up as well as The World According to Garp. But some books you love despite all their flaws and limitations. God knows John Irving made me very happy for a while.
Rating: 
Summary: Irving continues his drek
Review: My suggestion to you if you are planning to read Water Method Man is to either sell it back, give it away, or burn it. This (along with his other two first books) are drek. The plotlines are hazy and nondescript and far from being entertaining. PLease, do yourself a favor start with Garp, skip THe Hotel NEw Hampshire and run to the bookstore to buy the rest.
Rating:
Summary: Comic Genius
Review: People who find this novel tedious, and the narrator idiotic and unlikable, are really missing the point. While I might agree that The Water-Method Man is not a "serious" work (whatever that should mean), Irving makes no effort to present it as such. The Water Method Man is arguably one of the funniest books ever written--the characters, from the hapless Trumper to the mythic Merrill, are unforgettable. It's not the same kind of novel as A Prayer for Owen Meany, but why should it be?
Rating:
Summary: Comic Genius
Review: People who find this novel tedious, and the narrator idiotic and unlikable, are really missing the point. While I might agree that The Water-Method Man is not a "serious" work (whatever that should mean), Irving makes no effort to present it as such. The Water Method Man is arguably one of the funniest books ever written--the characters, from the hapless Trumper to the mythic Merrill, are unforgettable. It's not the same kind of novel as A Prayer for Owen Meany, but why should it be?
Rating: 
Summary: i probably made the mistake of....
Review: reading "the cider house rules" and 'a prayer for owen meany" before reading this book. i enjoyed both of them immensely and "the water method man" was somewhat of a letdown. the book jumps from year to year and back again in the life of fred trumper. sometimes, i found myself reading halfway into a paragraph before i realized that the story switched to an incident that occurred years ago in the main character's life. the storyline is not as entertaining as the other two books i mentioned but it grows on you. if you are a die-hard fan of john irving, then you will want to read this book. if you want to experience the best of irving, buy the other two books that i mentioned.
Rating:
Summary: i probably made the mistake of....
Review: reading "the cider house rules" and 'a prayer for owen meany" before reading this book. i enjoyed both of them immensely and "the water method man" was somewhat of a letdown. the book jumps from year to year and back again in the life of fred trumper. sometimes, i found myself reading halfway into a paragraph before i realized that the story switched to an incident that occurred years ago in the main character's life. the storyline is not as entertaining as the other two books i mentioned but it grows on you. if you are a die-hard fan of john irving, then you will want to read this book. if you want to experience the best of irving, buy the other two books that i mentioned.
Rating: 
Summary: a Garp by any other name...
Review: Reading The Water-Method Man is akin to watching a very early (pre-Annie Hall) woody Allen film. Funny, a bit outrageous for its time, and fascinating to compare to later (and better) works. The Water-Method Man is very much like Garp (30 year old man struggling with adulthood), and has a lot of similarity to Hotel New Hampshire (many quirky stories set in Vienna). It wouldn't take a rocket scientest to assume all of these novels have some basis in Irving's own experiences and psyche. The end product is a humorous yet superficial read. Folks expecting a rich, memorable story (as found in Owen Meany and Son of a Circus) should look elsewhere. For those unfamiliar with John Irving novels, The Water-Method Man will appeal to men (it's a bit sexist but far from vulgar), and those who can remember the "free spirit" days of the late 60s/early 70s. John Irving fans, especially those with a soft spot for Garp, should definitely place this book on their must read list. I personally found it to be equal, if not better, than Garp in every way.
Rating: 
Summary: Hints of the writer-to-be....far from his best work
Review: Since I first read Garp I've been a huge fan of John Irving. I've pretty much loved everything's he's written since Garp. I had left his first three books for last. I think Water Method Man may be his worst (which is not to say it's bad...it's not. It's just not up to Irving's very high standard). After reading this, I gave it to my wife ( a voracious reader, indeed, and also an Irving fan). We agree. The biggest problem here is that we just didn't care about Trumper or anyone else in the story, for that matter.
Rating:
Summary: Yet another wonderful character.
Review: The Water Method Man does not come out the magical cauldron that John Irwing used to concoct The World According to Garp and A Prayer for Owen Meany, but it is still a great read, written with the same passion and humor as his classics. Being much shorter than his other books, this maybe lacks depth, but the characters are very colorful, and the constant leaps through time are very well worked. John Irwing has such talent when it comes to turning ordinary people into unique and intriguing characters that stumble though the most imaginative situations.
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