Bought second hand especially for Book Crossing from a sale to benefit the nursing home where I work ... I have not actually enjoyed ANY of the John Irving books I've read in the past. ("Garp," "A Prayer for Owen Meany," "Hotel New Hampsire," OR "Ciderhouse Rules." So, at least I HAVE given it a chance) His symbolism is just a bit too offbeat for me, his humor, just a little too tongue in cheek, I guess.

I know that other people *LOVE* his books, though! I'll check wish lists to create a book ray, or arrange a RABCK!

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OK, I've started to organize this as a book ray. I've PMed book-crossers who have this book on their wish lists to see if they would be interested in a USA/Canada book ray, and posted on the Wish List and Book Ring forums.
********************************* These folks responded to forum posts and are on the list for the ray:
janey-canuck (Canada)
brewster13 (Canada)
mitziyah (USA) US shipping pref if possible.
So, actually, this is the way the list stands now.
********************************* 9/25/2005:Will be on its way to "Janey-Canuck" this week via surface mail. I will post an entry when it's been mailed!

Added Sept. 27, 2005: Mailed yesterday! Happy traveling, Garp! Happy reading, friends!

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Received in the mail today. Thanks!

Well, I'm really glad I read this book. I'm not sure I totally understood everything that was going on, it seems to me that maybe there were hidden literary messages that I didn't quite pick up. When I got home this weekend after finishing the book while I was travelling this week, I tried to rent the movie, but apparantly, it is too old for anyone around here to carry it! I'll have to start asking around for anyone that owns it.

I do have to say that while I enjoyed it, I found the entire thing totally out there and implausible, much as I did the stories that Garp wrote. Maybe that's the point? It just seemed to me that too many odd things happened and too many things happened all at the same time... I won't get into too many details, as I don't want to give away what happens, but I'll be interested to know what other people thought.

Dropping in the mail to Brewster13 later on today.

Received this book in the mail....it's on the TBR pile for now, until I get through my current reads. Looking forward to it :-) Brew

I really enjoyed reading this book. The story just kept carrying me along, and I enjoyed the ride totally. At first I was somewhat daunted by the length of the book overall, but at the end I was sad that it was already done. I can't put my finger on exactly what it was that made me enjoy it so, and perhaps that makes it even better *shrug*.

In any case, thanks so much for sharing with me. I will PM mitziyah and send off in the mail asap. Thanks...Brewster

Just arrived today. This is one of those "I should really read that someday" books. Glad to get the chance. I'm in the middle of another bookring right now, and after that my sister has asked me to edit her manuscript (it's her first completed novel. woohoo!!) But this will be next in line, I promise. *smile*

PS-Go Seahawks!!

Well, I'm a third of the way through (they've just returned from Vienna) and I felt the need to journal to say that I'm not really that impressed. Maybe John Irving and I are just not meant to get along. (I was very underwhelmed by "A Prayer for Owen Meany" as well. Although a local theatre group "Book-It Theatre" did an AMAZING production of the christmas pageant). I mean, I find the plot mildly interesting, but I've yet to be emotionally invested, even once. There seems a huge disconnect between the characters and the reader. It is sort of interesting to see Garp's views on the meaning of being a writer, etc, as I'm guessing they are close to Irving's beliefs. Still, I'll give it another 200 pages and see.

I can't quite figure out why this book is taking me so LONG to read (I'm now at page 500, finally, so the "home stretch" is in site). I don't know if it's because I'm not fully engaged in the novel so I'm not finding time for reading, or if it's just because my life has been super busy this week. In any case, I do have a few positive things to record. I think that the discussions and opinions about the nature of writing, the conditions for a book being good versus popular, most of the conversations with Garp's editor, and Garp's thoughts on authors and their work, are all fascinating. So, I'm liking that part of the book.

That being said, I didn't become involved or connected to these characters for the longest time. I was reading what happened out of obligation to this bookring but I honestly didn't really care. Around page 250 when we saw Garp with his children, I began to be connected in only the slightest of ways. But then the foreshadowing and premonitions (sp?) of disaster were layed out so thickly that I didn't emotionally invest myself any further. I thought the parallels between what is happening with Garp's novel and what happens in THIS novel were mildly interesting. I just get the feeling that Irving is trying to be SHOCKING for the sake of making some grand point about human nature or something, but I just don't care...and, frankly, I'm not that shocked. Maybe it's because this novel is 30 years old...maybe it was a bigger splash in the mid-seventies, but as a child of the 90's, I'm not that easily shocked, I guess.

Anyways, I'm hoping to finish the last 100 pages this week (as I've got another bookring waiting).

Dang, it took me 3 weeks to read this. But I'm finished. Hoorah! It was decent...I enjoyed the second half more than the first half. Still only a 5 or 6 star read, and not something I need to keep ever. Irving had some interesting theories/discussions on some pretty big themes, but nothing that I felt was earth-shattering or particularly unique (this is colored, I'm sure, by the fact that this novel is 30 years old. In the 1970s, this was probably more impressive). I'm interested to watch the film only in that I'm curious to see HOW they make this into a film. For me, anyways, it seemed that the point of this novel was not the basic plot happenings, but the discussions and themes around them...and i'm pretty sure that the movie will just focus on the life of Garp, and not his worldview. Ah well. I did like the insistance that one should focus on an author's works and not on an author's life. I also thought it a unique literary style to present this novel as a sort of thesis or biography on T.S. Garp...that was pretty original, citing different sources of literary cirticism and different "biographers" was amusing. Thanks for the ray.

https://www.nationalmssociety.org//WAS/personal/default.asp?pa=53966421&pd=WAS0EWLK20060401TAC

I'm continuing this bookray's journey. Here's the order:

SimplyCee in US (ships US)
cowgirl-up in US (ships UK)
Fluffy-owl in UK (ships Eur)
Antigone1 in Eur (ships Eur)
JohnSteed in Eur (ships Australia)
Miss-owl in Australia

Sending this out today. Bon Voyage

I just received the book today. The Cider House Rules was actually on my list before this, but I'll start this one first so that I can keep it moving!

I just finished this book a few minutes ago. It's different from most of the books I read, which was the reason I wanted to read it in the first place. I actually liked it a lot. I must admit it took me about 100 pages to truly get into the story but once I did I finished the novel in about 3 days. I was constantly reading it. I found it to be unpredictable. With the exception of the ending, I was never quite sure what would happen to/with the characters. I agree with mitziyah that the book is more about the discussions and themes around what's happening more than the actions themselves. While it is not a book I would re-read, I did enjoy it enough to recommend to a serious reader.

I'll be sending it out to the next person on the list as soon as I get an address.

Received in the mail today. I have a few books ahead of it that I have to pass on, but I'll start this one ASAP.

This is only my second book by John Irving and I'm not too sure. The first one I read was The Cider House Rules and I did enjoy it a bit more than this one. I liked the writing style, but I think it was the plot that turned me off a bit. I never really connected well with any of the characters which is usually an important thing for me. I was drawn into the story, but I honestly didn't care too much what happened to the individuals. I felt sorry for them with all the bad things happening around them, but I felt like I should be more upset when bad things did happen. I did enjoy the wit, the irony and the occasional sarcasm. I never really got the point (if in fact there was one) so maybe I missed some key pieces along the way. Overall it was a book worth reading, but not a work that would have me running to the bookstore to buy more by this author. "A Prayer for Owen Meany" is already on my bookshelf, but I don't see myself moving it to the top of Mt. TBR unless it's requested by another BCer.

I've PMed the next in line and will pass the book along as soon as I have the address.

I've PMed

Mailed today to Fluffy-Owl to keep the ray going!

What is it with John Irving books, BookCrossing, and books falling apart?! The copy I received of The Cider House Rules was coverless, and this one seems to have more sticky tape than cover! But I guess it is a long way from the USA to England. And I presume it shows the book's been loved, although am not too sure now that I've read some of the previous journallers' comments!

Will read it next. Probably.

Finished today, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Like with the other Irving books I've read (Prayer... and Ciderhouse...) it was the writing I enjoyed more than the actual plot, which for some chapters was just odd. Some people have accused me of being odd, in that when I'm about a third of the way through a book I'll read the last few chapters so I know what's going to happen, and so it's good for me that Irving often introduces a character and then tells us an outline of what's going to happen to/with them later in the book.

Looking forward to reading more by him.

Will post off to the next person within a week.

Received it the other day as part of that bookray - many, many thanks! - have read the first couple of pages and already can't stop!

Found Garp in my mailbox today (might have been there for a few days since I was abroad) Will start reading very soon (just have to finish another one first...)

Yep - it's an Irving. Guess there is either love or hate for his writings and nothing in between. And since I love his style I also dig this book. My rating is based on the Irvings I've read so far(obviously not read in order).

The state of the copy is quite bad - yellow, tattered pages held together by tape. It's past looking used....

I also checked with Postal Service. Due to the size (esp.weight) of the book it falls into the top-category of "Maxibrief", meaning it would cost me CHF 18.00 (USD 14.40) !! to send this sad copy over to Australia.
I really wouldn't mind the costs if the book would be shiny and new.

Hope there won't be an outcry when I dare to break the (international) ray and release the book in my area (?)

Due to cunning extorsion (received by mail) I will send the book after all.
Don't like to be called cheap or lame from a however fanatic fellow bookcrosser.

Have fun with the yellowish/brownish remains of a book.

RELEASE NOTES:

>>>>>> Miss-Owl

Received today after returning from holiday. Thanks to JohnSteed for sending & to DoveiLibri for initiating.

As a small pile of bookrings awaits me, & I'm last on the list, it will take me a while, but I plan to read & hopefully to continue to ray.

Like most others, this is not my first encounter with Irving so I generally knew what to expect - quirkiness & whimsy writ bold and large; the unexpected. It's true that Irving's plots often stretch the reader beyond belief, but what I find to be his essentially comic approach to life garners a lot of my goodwill. Paradoxically, though, this book actually made me cry! (I think it was the UnderToad.)

Offering up as a continued ray for three days; but if nobody bites, I'll wild-release it at my local uni.

(Three days later: no takers for a bookray! Due for release)

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Donated to the Sydney Uni Chancellor's book sale - a wonderful place to get books, and consequently very very dangerous :)

Thank you for picking up this book! Please make a journal entry on the BookCrossing site to let me know that this book has found a good home with you. You may choose to remain anonymous or to join (it's free). If you join, please consider indicating that you were referred by me, Miss-Owl. I hope you enjoy the book. You can make another journal entry with your comments when you’ve finished reading.

Whenever you’re ready to send it on its way, you can make a "controlled release" if you are giving or sending this book to someone you know, or "release notes" if you are leaving it "in the wild" again for anyone to catch. Then you can watch its journey. You’ll be alerted by e-mail each time someone makes another journal entry. It’s all confidential (you’re known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your e-mail address), free, and spam-free.