Mmmh… I liked this book even more, to be honest, as I was familiar with it through the animated film “I Lost My Body”, like the prequel book of that girl (I'm not good with names); but, I learned a lot about literature, and I was also inspired to write a little more often.

The beginning was especially promising for me, as it started with the description of Garp's mother, Jenny Fields, which related to me in many ways, a hurt rebel against human hurts, averse to the idiotic rules of society, a humanist (non-feminist) who was given the label “feminist” without her desire, etc. I think my interest in the book started with the description and focus on Garp's mother. I really liked Jenny. However, it is a book that is worth reading.

Overall, this book offers a rich and engaging story that delves into various themes such as family, identity, and social norms. The characters are well-developed and complex, making it easy for readers to connect with them on an emotional level. The writing style is also quite captivating, with vivid descriptions and a unique narrative voice. Whether you're a fan of literature or just looking for an interesting read, this book is definitely worth checking out.

Full review now posted!

Sometimes literary fiction can be stranger than fantasy, and this book is a prime example. Man, it was really weird! I've been struggling to decide how I feel about it. I don't recall ever having such a hard time rating a book. On one hand, it's a unique story told well, with an original and unforgettable cast of characters. They bring the story to life in a way that's truly captivating. However, on the other hand, it was crude and vulgar at a level that seemed deliberately used to scandalize the reader and keep them hooked. There were multiple scenes that were incredibly shocking, almost as if they were included just to elicit gasps of shock. This is pure sensationalism. I finally settled on a four-star rating because, despite its flaws, it's an impactful book with remarkable prose. But I didn't always appreciate the tactics used to get the reader's response.

The reason I decided to read this book in the first place was because a wonderful new author, Cheris Wolas, whose debut I adored, recommended it. It's one of her favorites, and her novel has been compared to it. I can see the comparison. Here we have the story of an author whose writing was interrupted by marriage and parenthood and is now trying to find their way back to the writing of their youth. Not only do we get the author's story, but we also get snippets of their writing, allowing us to experience their art firsthand. This was one of my favorite aspects of both books. I love when authors stretch themselves like this, creating and differentiating the voices of fictional characters. It shows amazing craftsmanship and dedication to their art.

Although I see the comparison, I have to admit that I found Joan Ashby and her story superior in every way to that of T.S. Garp. Wolas never used sensationalism to play on my emotions; she elicited them honestly with a well-told story. The shocks in her story felt genuine and not cheap or overly planned. That being said, I understand the appeal and popularity of Garp. His story is unforgettable and will stay with me. It just didn't resonate as deeply with me as I expected. This was my first experience with John Irving's writing. While it was an odd book that left me confused about my response, it was undoubtedly an interesting one. I'm sure this won't be my last Irving novel.

For more of my reviews, as well as my own fiction and thoughts on life, check out my blog, Celestial Musings.

This is a near perfect novel that serves as a wonderful summation of a life lived.

It takes the reader on a captivating journey through the various stages and experiences of the protagonist's life.

The author has masterfully crafted a story that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

Each chapter unfolds like a new page in a diary, revealing the joys, sorrows, and challenges that the character has faced.

The writing is vivid and descriptive, allowing the reader to easily imagine the scenes and emotions.

It is a novel that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page, making you reflect on your own life and the choices you have made.

Overall, it is a literary gem that is well worth reading.

I have been longing to revisit John Irving recently. During this Easter break, I've been re-reading "War and Peace", but I wanted to take a break between each book within the novel and read something else. So, I checked out what the library had to offer for Irving, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to re-read "The World According to Garp" for the third time.

This is the first Irving novel I ever came across. A rather imposing mass-market paperback of it resides somewhere in my dad's house. It was one of those books that exist in your parents' house even before you're born, preceding you into the world and, with any luck, will outlive your passage out of it. Such books tend to float around the house, emerging at the most unexpected moments and in the strangest places. And I know it's my dad's favorite Irving work.

I've read "The World According to Garp" twice before, once when I was young and once when I was younger than I am now. The complexity of the relationships and issues that Irving explores in his books means that reading them at such different ages naturally leads to very different impressions. Reading it now, I reflected to my dad that it seemed much more absurd to me. Indeed, the situations and events that trouble Garp throughout his life range from the simple and believable to the incredible or even ludicrous. Some have compared this book to a soap opera, and I suppose there's some truth to that. However, it's more of a comedy than an opera.

Considering the depth of tragedy that occurs in this book - car accidents, rape, assassination - calling it a comedy might seem insensitive, to say the least. Yet, it's accurate because comedy is the genre that, through the absurd, reveals very important truths that we might otherwise overlook in our daily lives. The comic characters in this novel - Fat Stew Percy (all the various nicknamed Percys, in fact), the incorrigibly likable Dean Bodger, the reluctant Jillsy Sloper, and others - balance out the brutal nature of the events that happen to Garp and his family. Both the comic and tragic elements of the book are larger than life, as fiction often is. And the tragedy is not so much a punishment for the actions of Garp or others as it is a consequence of the inevitability of bad things happening to people, both good and bad.

There are many different ways this book can touch a reader's heart. Parents might identify with Garp's somewhat overbearing sense of worry, his desire to make the world safe. I can't really remember what appealed to me the most about this book when I read it before (this is one reason I enjoy writing reviews these days), but I'm certain it wasn't the feminism that stuck with me this time around.

"The World According to Garp" begins by recounting Garp's conception and birth. It explains how Jenny Fields, a nurse and member of the wealthy New England Fields family, struggles to maintain her independence in a society and time that is suspicious of single, independent women. Jenny conceives Garp in an unorthodox way and proceeds to raise him defiantly on her own. Later in life, when Garp is almost an adult and on the verge of independence himself, Jenny writes a memoir - "A Sexual Suspect" - that transforms her into a feminist icon. Although Jenny welcomes women into her life throughout her life, she herself remains reluctant to embrace that label or the discourse surrounding feminism. Although she has no problem with prostitution and liberal views on sexuality, Jenny consistently marvels at the phenomenon of lust and expresses confusion about how it operates, particularly in men.

Garp lives his life in the shadow of his mother's fame and struggles with this in relation to his growing reputation as a writer. He isn't just "T.S. Garp, the novelist" but "T.S. Garp, the son of noted feminist Jenny Fields". Inevitably, his books are reviewed in this context. So, when, in the prime of his life, an accident befalls his entire family and influences him to write a strange, semi-absurd soap opera about rape and infidelity, it's not surprising that this polarizes critics. As is often the case with such controversial works, there are feminist reactions on both sides - just showing that there is seldom a universal reaction to something as complex as literature. Some critics praise the novel as a deep and moving look at how rape affects a woman's life, while others condemn it as paternalistic and insensitive.

Garp's complicated relationship - both familial and literary - with feminism is what lingers in my mind after finishing this book. Garp attends his mother's memorial in drag because it is more of a rally for the women's movement in memory of the icon they made of Jenny Fields than it is a tribute to his mother, the person Jenny Fields. And at such an event, it is implied that the presence of a man would not be tolerated, especially someone as despised as T.S. Garp. Here, and at other points in the novel (such as the love life of Roberta Muldoon), Irving gently explores the idea that there are certain spaces reserved for specific expressions of gender, and those spaces - often in an attempt to ensure their safety - can be hostile to other genders.

This exploration of such spaces interests me. A friend on Facebook recently posted, "Can a man be a feminist and chivalrous, since chivalry is inherently sexist?" One woman replied, "Can a man be a feminist?" I would hope that most feminists, and some men, would answer yes - I identify as a man, and I also identify as a feminist! Yet, the question raises a very real issue within feminism. And it's certainly true that those of us who perform gender as straight men have a different relationship with, and a different role in, feminism than someone who performs gender differently.

So, I look at the somewhat hostile and narrow-minded performances of feminism by some of the characters in this book (the Ellen Jamesians are, of course, the main example) and reflect that similar issues persist in feminism today. It seems strange that in thirty years we haven't made much progress in this regard. All this divisiveness and polarization seem so counterproductive; polemics and invectives against other feminists are a waste of time that could be better spent promoting gender equality. (And I'm not referring only to the inclusiveness of genders within feminism; there are also many conflicts within the widely diverse movement that is "feminism" regarding its relationship to anti-colonialism, anti-racism, etc.)

"The World According to Garp" highlights how the essential aloneness that plagues us as individuals can conflict with our need to build institutions and -isms. The Ellen Jamesians think they are somehow honoring Ellen James through their actions, even though she is horrified by them. Jenny's various followers or admirers view her as an icon even though she doesn't embrace the label "feminist" as much as she allows others to label her. We have a need to interact with others, but we have to do it through something as clumsy and unwieldy as words. And sometimes, it's just so hard to know what to say.

This theme resounds through the writers and writing presented in this book. Garp is a writer, but his writing doesn't seem to really go anywhere throughout his life. His first published short story, "The Pension Grillparzer", seems to be one of his best works, perhaps only rivaled by his unfinished novel. Writing constantly occupies him, even if the act of writing seems to elude him most of the time. And it seems to me that Garp is struggling - perhaps in vain - to finally figure out how to say what he wants to say (and perhaps this is all any writer is ever doing). "The Pension Grillparzer" is a way of communicating his experience of Vienna; it is also a deed done to prove his worthiness as a writer to the demanding Helen Holm. (I'd love to analyze Helen and Garp's marriage further, but I'm not sure I'm up to the task. I suspect that anything I could say on the matter would sound incredibly naive, given my own lack of experience in such matters.) "The World According to Bensenhaver" is a reaction to a tragedy that inevitably undermines any feelings of safety he might have in the world.

Garp isn't the only writer. Jenny publishes a memoir long before Garp publishes any work. Michael Milton, the only student to catch Helen's eye, is also a writer. According to Garp, neither of these two has much writing ability. However, both offer contrasts in terms of their attitude towards their writing. Jenny is "done" with writing after she completes "A Sexual Suspect". She undertakes the project because she feels she has something to say, and she is calm about its controversial yet passionate reception after its publication. Milton is prolific but perhaps lacks in raw talent. This confidence, in contrast to Garp's wavering sense of purpose in his writing, is attractive to Helen at that time in their marriage; perhaps it reminds her of the confident Garp who sent her "The Pension Grillparzer" as a prelude to proposing.

Irving's treatment of feminism and feminist politics stands out this time around, but I was also drawn to how he discusses writing. Overall, "The World According to Garp" has interesting portrayals of communication and the ways in which people succeed or fail to communicate with each other. We spend a great deal of our time trying to make connections, to be together. We form families and friendships; we engage in intimacy and sex with people we know (or don't know); we write and read and speak. In the end, though, we are still always individuals, always alone, always terminal. And when we do go, we leave behind a great body of words for others to read, examine, and theorize about from now until the end of time. We can never control - and seldom can we predict - how people will interpret what we write. But when we do go, that's a major part of what we leave behind.

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„U svetu po Garpu, svi smo mi nasmrt bolesni.“ This profound statement sets the tone for John Irving's world. Irving's novels are synonymous with extravagance - in their plots, characters, attitudes, and twists, and "The World According to Garp" is no exception. Garp's world, into which he is born as the son of the eccentric Jenny Fields, takes us into the complex life of Garp, a writer surrounded by people who themselves have much to tell.

Following the story from Garp's birth, education, life in Vienna and the beginnings of his writing career, his marriage to Helen, the publication of his books, to personal tragedies, this novel abounds, for that time, with exceptionally modern understandings of feminism, sex, personal freedoms, as well as the very profession of a writer, the process of creating a novel and the inspiration that comes only at certain intervals.

Besides being a story about Garp's family, "The World According to Garp" is also a story about storytelling, within which are Garp's works, which are further either popular among the public in the novel or completely scandalous and by means of provoking and radical actions. Irving's characters are developed to the tiniest details, yet very directly and naturally, which is why after just a few pages of this extensive work, we become immersed in the complex family and social relations, which in this case are closely connected and will affect all the actors in a violent, dark, yet spiritual and strange way, as humans often know how to do.

Indeed, there are enough freaks and sufficient eccentricity here to make this a SUPER enjoyable read.

It lacks what the only other Irving novel I've read so far, "A Prayer for Owen Meany," has plenty of: principally melancholia. It deviates to a semibiography of a writer, starting from an incredible birth story involving a strictly asexual nurse and a vegetable (a memento from the war) named Garp. The name is onomatopoeia. She becomes an early figure of the feminist movement. Hilarity ensues.

The son, Garp, is a writer who becomes one to "conquer the girl." Forgive my disgust for this Norman Rockwell portrait, this American fairy tale convention.

But wait a minute. This is like a distortion of a Rockwell American dreamscape, really. There are mutilations aplenty. Garp's life is one of self-awareness and an inflated-to-the-point-of-exploding superego. There are poetic afterthoughts and wondrous threads of whimsy. But though I must admit parts read like my all-time-fave "Confederacy of Dunces" (keeping colloquialisms intact!), this is no masterpiece. However, it IS a front runner in modern-day fiction. And I can't help but think that this one started all these modern-day melodramas that are rife with style (emblematic quirks in character, caricaturization of "serious" players...) over substance (...depth).

I had heard truly remarkable things about this particular book.

It delves deeply into several significant themes such as feminism, the all-too-common parental paranoia, and the numerous challenges that accompany career ambitions.

I continuously found myself assuming that this book was on the verge of presenting something completely earth-shattering.

Consequently, I kept turning the pages with great anticipation, eager to discover that momentous revelation.

However, as I progressed through the book, it never materialized.

The story seemed to meander along without ever reaching that expected climax or delivering that profound and life-altering moment that I had been so fervently waiting for.

Despite the interesting themes it explored, the lack of a truly impactful moment left me feeling a bit disappointed.

Nonetheless, I still appreciate the author's attempt to tackle these important topics, but perhaps my expectations were simply set too high.

"I have always known that the pursuit of perfection is a deadly habit." Someone wrote that what you will find in Irving's novels is luxury. And I would just stop at this key word. From that, don't be surprised by the round 600 pages, digressions and excursions, the number of characters,... Therefore, it is not for everyone.

Irving's novels are indeed a world of their own. The sheer volume of his works can be intimidating. The 600-page tomes are filled with not only a complex plot but also numerous digressions and excursions that take the reader on a wild ride. The number of characters is also remarkable, each with their own unique personalities and backstories.

However, this luxury comes at a price. The complexity and length of Irving's novels can make them a challenge to read. It requires patience and a willingness to invest time and effort into understanding the story. For some readers, this may be too much. But for those who are willing to take on the challenge, Irving's novels offer a rich and rewarding experience.

In the life of a man, his time is but a moment, his being an incessant flux, his sense a dim rush-light, his body a prey of worms, his soul an unquiet eddy, his fortune dark, his fame doubtful. In short, all that is body is as coursing waters, all that is of the soul as dreams and vapors.

I have a confession to make: I have great admiration and respect for the talent of John Irving. This novel is one of the finest examples of the heights his art can reach. However, I cared little for Garp and his tragicomic life rarely moved me beyond intellectual stimulation. I had a similar reaction to Owen Meany, another BIG novel from Irving. This makes me wonder why I feel both stories are manipulative of the reader and more than a little conceited, while my favorite remains "A Son of the Circus".

There are plenty of answers within the many pages of the present novel, and of the novels within a novel included in the text. Since Garp, the protagonist of the story, is also a writer, a lot of pages describe how to write, what to write, the publishing world, the critics, and even the readers' reactions.
There are so many themes that it's a hard choice where to begin. I went with the Marc Aurelius quote because it captures perfectly the way Garp looks at the world around him, even from an early age. It also caused me an inappropriate fit of the giggles, given the fact I had read about the Roman emperor/philosopher only a couple of days before in another novel.
I don't think Mr. Irving would mind my misusing his tone-setting quote. First, because he also likes to mention other authors and books in his novels. Second, because throughout the novel, the tragedy walks hand in hand with the comedy. Garp becomes a writer not because he wants to become rich and famous, but because he has great empathy for the suffering of others. He wants to make the world a safer place for parents and children.
Another possible starting point is to go back to the beginning, to Garp's mother, and look at the novel as a morality play about the sexual revolution in post-War America. Irving himself mentions this in the foreword. I did like the militant/liberating part of the novel, especially in the context of a recent drift back in society towards intransigence and condemnation of 'otherness'. I found Jenny Fields more likable as a character than Garp.
After growing up in a college campus, mother and son go to Vienna to discover their abilities as writers. While Jenny Fields discovers the importance of opening phrases, Garp discovers decadence and alienation. 'The Pension Grillparzer' is the first of stories within stories in the present novel and, according to Garp's publisher, his wife, and even himself, the best he ever wrote. I tend to agree because it has something the rest of Irving's work lacks: briefness.
In this condensed form is the credo of Irving's art of the novel. We are all terminal cases, but at least we get to try. The end is known before the start of the performance, but the show must go on. A novelist is supposed to make stories better than life, to make them make sense as well as entertain. Garp becomes a writer, marries, has children, cheats on his wife, joins the Swinger movement, becomes a feminist, then an antifeminist, experiences joy and devastating loss, publishing fame and hate-filled criticism. He is full of Life, for a while, and then he becomes immortal through Art.
As usual, it's up to the reader to digest this raw material and decide if it is abuse or food for thought. One of my favorite characters in the book is Jillsy Sloper, the unlikely proof-reader at the New York publishing house. Another memorable character is Ellen James, a mute victim of rape. I didn't plan to end my review with these two clarion calls, but that's the way the dice rolled for this 'X-rated soap opera'. I'm not disappointed for the time I spent in the company of Garp and his circus of freaks. I even think a second reading of Garp would prove as satisfying as the first, but there are so many more books beckoning.

Garp is the sort of man who seems to have a penchant for always uttering the wrong words. However, despite this flaw, he emerges as a worthy hero within the pages of this surprisingly still-relevant feminist novel. It's quite an interesting juxtaposition. I have to admit that I don't typically have a great affinity for 'funny' novels. But this particular book had a unique charm that managed to truly make me laugh out loud. The author's clever use of humor and the engaging characters combined to create a reading experience that was both entertaining and thought-provoking. It's not often that a novel can achieve such a balance. Garp's misadventures and his journey of self-discovery make for a captivating story that keeps the reader hooked from beginning to end.

John Irving’s fifth novel, published in 1978, stands as one of his most remarkable works. The tale commences in 1942 when a 22-year-old Jenny Fields, who is caring for soldiers wounded in World War II, is introduced. Jenny, the heir to a family fortune, had dropped out of Wellesley and chosen to become a nurse, an unusual occupation for a girl of her class and social standing. However, Jenny is no ordinary girl. Unlike her friends, she has no particular affection for men or sex. She has no desire to engage in the passionate and messy aspects of it. In fact, she believes that men’s only purpose in life is to help conceive children. So, when she decides she wants a child but not a husband, she skillfully impregnates herself with the sperm of a severely brain-damaged gunner named Technical Sergeant Garp, whom she has been caring for. Gently yet efficiently, Jenny performs this practically induced conception, and when Garp eventually dies, he never knows he fathered a son.

Jenny names her baby T.S. Garp after his father and raises him alone, taking a position as a nurse at the prestigious, private all-boys Steering School in New England. There, Garp grows up interested in sex, wrestling, and writing fiction, subjects that hold no interest for his mother. After graduating, Garp heads to Vienna in search of the life experience he deems necessary to become a writer, with his mother deciding to accompany him. While Garp explores all that Europe has to offer, Jenny writes her autobiography. Garp is surprised as she had never shown any interest in writing before, but he enjoys her company, and the two embark on their adventure.

During their time abroad, Garp completes his first novella, “The Pension Grillparzer,” and Jenny finishes her memoirs, titled “A Sexual Suspect.” Upon their return to the States, Jenny’s book is published to great acclaim, and her sales soar. Unintentionally, she becomes a feminist icon and a symbol of strength, admired for her ability to create a life without a man. She develops a following of feminist fanatics called the Ellen Jamesians, named after an 11-year-old girl whose tongue was cut off by her rapist. The women in this group cut off their own tongues in solidarity with their hero.

With the earnings from her successful novel, Jenny retires from nursing and moves to her parents’ home in Dog’s Head Harbor on the New Hampshire coast, where she establishes a center for abused women. Garp marries Helen, the daughter of the wrestling coach at the Steering School, and starts a family. He is still a struggling writer and a stay-at-home dad, while Helen teaches English and provides the family’s income. Garp is a caring man and a devoted father but is obsessed with keeping his children safe from the world’s dangers.

The couple’s marriage faces difficulties as Garp has affairs with various babysitters, friends, and neighbors, and Helen begins her own affair with a graduate student. That affair ends tragically, involving the entire family and resulting in the death of one son and the severe injury of the other. The family retreats to Jenny’s home in Dog’s Head Harbor to heal physically, and the couple uses this time to reconcile and repair their marriage. They later welcome a daughter named Jenny into their healing family.

Garp continues to learn from the women around him, including Roberta Muldoon, a transsexual ex-football star and a friend of his mother. Roberta struggles for acceptance in society and eventually becomes one of Garp’s close friends. After a long absence from the spotlight, Jenny returns to center stage when she is assassinated at a feminist rally by a man who believes her book ruined his marriage. But more tragedy follows when Garp, now the wrestling coach at the Steering School, is shot by a deranged feminist who blames him for her sister’s death, a girl Garp knew growing up.

Thus, Garp’s brief life comes to an end at just 33. The book, which spans Garp’s entire lifetime, is filled with humor, sorrow, death, and sex. People live and die in strange and wonderful ways, and although the first half is often absurdly funny, the mood quickly shifts to one of tragedy and sorrow. Irving includes many familiar themes from his novels, such as a setting in New England and later Vienna, wrestling, death, unending self-doubt and anxiety, and bears. And sex is无处不在, with Garp’s perpetual lust, numerous affairs, and Helen’s extra-marital liaison that led to irreversible tragedy. Garp’s mother, Jenny, stands in stark contrast with her determined avoidance of sex, except for the non-consensual “arrangement” she made to conceive her son.

The characters are complex, well-developed, engaging, and deeply sympathetic, with the struggling transsexual Roberta Muldoon and the strong-willed and loving but unintentional feminist Jenny Field being particularly well-portrayed. The novel has quickly become a classic and is recognized as one of Irving’s best. I loved it, although I found the diversion to Garp’s novella and stories disrupted the narrative flow. The entire story takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster, with several “laugh out loud” moments interspersed with stretches of sad disbelief. This is simply a wonderful, wonderful book, an irresistibly good read.

DNF 1/4

I cannot rule out the possibility that I will return, but it is certain that it will not be in the near future.

DNF stands for "Did Not Finish". In this context, it might refer to a task, a project, or a competition that the person was involved in but did not complete.

The statement "Nie wykluczam, że wrócę" (I cannot rule out that I will return) implies that there is still a glimmer of hope or a possibility that the person might come back to finish what they started. However, the phrase "ale na pewno nie w najbliższym czasie" (but definitely not in the near future) qualifies this statement and makes it clear that any return is not imminent.

This could be due to various reasons such as personal circumstances, lack of resources, or other priorities that need to be addressed first. It also shows that the person is being realistic and not making any false promises or commitments.

Overall, the statement DNF 1/4 along with the accompanying text gives an indication of the person's current situation and their thoughts about the future.