I’ve always been a pretty avid reader. And I do so love books. When we moved home in 2017, from Shropshire into Cheshire, we brought with us 52 boxes of my books, much to the dismay of the removal men. But it could have been worse. Before we moved, in an effort to down-size my library, I gave 27 boxes of books to charity shops and, gulp, threw 12 boxes away. And over the years I have probably lent, given away, or simply lost almost as many books as I now possess. But that’s the thing with books. They are curious possessions. I rarely read a book twice (unless it’s a very special book) – so why do I keep them? If you were to steal a book a day from my shelves, I probably wouldn’t notice. Not for quite a while. And yet I love them all. They feel, to me, as if they are part of my memory – a kind of off-line archive – a record of who I am and what I’ve read for more than half a century.
I don’t want to turn this blog into a book-blog. There
are book bloggers who do a really good job and I’ll never compete. But what I thought I might do is to share some
of my favourite books and authors. In no particular order, you understand. So, without further ado, let’s unchain the first contender. I give you, ‘The World
According to Garp.’
 |
| My rather well-read copy of 'Garp.' |
Is this John Irving’s best book? Perhaps not. It is clearly the
work of a young writer (Irving was in his early thirties when he wrote it) and it
ranges rather loosely over a shopping-list of issues (single motherhood, writing,
bereavement, feminism, mutilation) in a way that risks losing focus. Its hippy vibe may not have aged well. It was made into a rather mediocre film. It
deals with tropes that have rather been left behind by contemporary novelists.
The conceit of a strong single woman arranging her own insemination and raising
her son to manhood is not especially radical these days. But. But. But. Irving
has somehow created a character with such depth, and painted a landscape with
such detail, we cannot help but be drawn in to Garp’s odd world and the curious
cast of characters that surround him. There is something deliciously experimental
about the novel. Garp is finding his voice as a writer and Irving shares with
us whole tracts of his (Garp’s) writing. ‘The Pension Grillparzer,’ (very much like
Irving’s later novel – ‘The Hotel New Hampshire,’) and ‘The World According to
Bensenhaver,’ an angry piece of work – not unlike, er, ‘The World According to
Garp.’ I can’t imagine a publisher these days letting all this through. And I can’t imagine the older Irving toying
with his readers like this. ‘The World According to Bensenhaver,’ is almost 40
pages long and it drops plumb into the manuscript at such a crucial point in Garp’s
life you start by begging it to wind up and let you back into the story. Until it
too has you in its clutches. If I was to lend you an Irving I would probably go
for ‘The Hotel New Hampshire’ or ‘The Cider House Rules,’ or even the
super-heavy ‘Until I Find You.’ But I have an enormous soft spot for Garp.
If you've never read John Irving you've missed a real treat. There is something about his use of language - like Turner's use of paint - that enchants you. He's a fan of the semi colon, and italicised words. He writes with rhythm. He is unafraid of repetition. He digs deep into character. All those are good qualities. There are negatives too. He writes long. Probably too long. I suspect that no editor now would dare trim his work which is a shame because it needs it. My copy of 'Until I Find You,' is 820 pages. I love it, but I might have loved it more at 400 pages.
I have yet to read Irving's latest 'The Last Chairlift.' (912 pages). But until I do, here are my other John Irving recommendations - with my star ratings.
Please check out my website for more information on my books. https://www.johnironmonger.com
'A Prayer for Owen Meany.' *****
'The Hotel New Hampshire.' *****
'The Cider House Rules,' *****
'A Son of the Circus.' ***
'A Widow for One Year.' ***
'Last Night in Twisted River.' ****
'Setting Free the Bears.' **
'The 158lb Marriage.' ***
'The Fourth Hand.' **
'The Water Method Man.' ***
'Until I Find You.' *****
'In One Person.' **
'Avenue of Mysteries.' ***
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpg)