A Widow for One Year

Rating:
Summary: Another Irving masterpiece
Review: Elegant, engaging, flowing, insightful.... brilliant

Rating:
Summary: Late Nights...
Review: I had the pleasure of listening to the audio of this book during a 15 hour drive to Louisiana. I didn't want to pull over when I was tired. I drove the whole way listening to this book and loving every second of it. If you get time, listen to it on audio, it truly is a masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: It's no "Cider House"
Review: One is entitled to expect a great deal from Irving after reading all of his published works. "Widow" doesn't measure up in many respects, but a mediocre Irving novel is still much better than most new fiction on the market today. An interesting story, but without the depth of earlier works. Irving's autobiographical tendencies were a bit misplaced here -- sure he's lived the life of a writer, but, as far as I can tell, not the life of a woman. The breast references were silly (I don't recall ever learning the size of Dr. Larch's genitalia, for example.) The relationship between Ruth and Hannah, as well as the voice of each woman as an individual, just did not ring true (this is based on my own 35 years of life as a woman.) And Marion simply wasn't developed enough to make a judgment. I will continue to read whatever Irving publishes, but this is not his best work.

Rating:
Summary: Emotionally drained, but utterly satisfied
Review: I had not read an Irving novel for a very long time (college perhaps). But Irving's latest was quite a find. It was hard leaving Marion Cole in 1958, but the trip with Eddie and Ruth was one worth taking. Strong characters, page-turning plot and a perfect ending. Who could ask for more?

Rating:
Summary: Starts bad, gets worse
Review: I had never read John Irving before, but I had heard rave after rave for his previous efforts and dove into A WIDOW FOR ONE YEAR expecting something special. Unfortunately, WIDOW is a complete waste of time, worth reading only by aspiring writers with an interest in examining what makes a bad book bad. And that's really the only reason I finished WIDOW, having realized early on that is was tripe. When the main character witnesses a brutal murder toward the end, not only did I lose interest in her, my fascination with this terrible novel became akin to that of a bystander at a horrible traffic accident, unable to tear their eyes away from the gore, shattered glass and mangled steel. Irving's earlier books may be better, but I'll never find out.

Rating:
Summary: Not John Irving's best work by a long shot.........
Review: Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I really disliked this book. The first half was terrific, but the second half seemed rushed and pointless to me. I only wish the book had continued the storyline concerning Marion Cole, rather than Ruth. Once Ruth gets to Amsterdam you might as well turn to the last two chapters, since that's as good as it gets. I did like the last paragraph.........

Rating:
Summary: Irvings best ever!
Review: John Irving continually amazes me. As in all his books, I was not bored for one page. No one can create characters the way Irving can. His best ever!

Rating:
Summary: Garbage, a waste of time
Review: Thankfully, I borrowed this book from a friend. What trite garbage. After reading about 200 pages, I had to force myself to skim it to get through the rest of it. The first few pages are well done. Unfortunately, Irving goes nowhere from there. The predictability of the plot is something I would expect from a very, very young writer. Boring-----

Rating:
Summary: A Widow for One Year . . . A memory for a lifetime!
Review: What an achievement by one of our most complete authors! Irving moves us seamlessly in and out of 40 years in the lives of complex, flawed people. He has an effortless way of introducing a theme or events or characters that won't be detailed until 50 pages later. This constant foreshadowing makes every page a joy of discovery. I laughed out loud through much of the book, felt Ruth's and Marion's pain, endured with Eddie, and cried at the end. A great read (and a great first drive from Montauk to Manhattan for Ruth). Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: An Irving book for non-Irving fans
Review: It's been a while since I've read anything by John Irving. My previous readings go back to "Garp". I was pleasantly surprised to find this a completely different experience-not as bizarre as some previous novels. The characters are well drawn, and for a long book with many characters, spanning 30+ years, the story stays together. Highly recommended.