Customer Reviews
garp wrote... - By: Sybil Trelawney, 21 Mar 2008 
the humour in this is what captivates every one of it's readers. irving creates a special kind of relationship between his characters & his readers, you care about what happens to then when you aren't reading the book & when it's over you can just sit there for a time just thinking about it. personallly this book was an impulse buy after a traumatic day, books are cheaper than smack & much better for your health. definitely worth it, i sat up reading it alll night. buy it, you won't regret it.
It isn't as bad as Owen Meany... - By: beccajwp, 07 Dec 2007 
A grotesque 'comedy' by a writer who thinks he's an awful lot better than he actuallly is, & boy does he want you to know it. Hypocritical, degrading to women & at least 300 pages too long. An 'X-Rated soap opera' with a medley of irritating characters - T.S.Garp not least of alll.
New to his books - By: Roxy le foxy, 09 Mar 2007 I only picked this up after being recommended it- & having read no John Irving books before, had no hopes for this book. However, right from the start I found myself engrossed in the storyline & the characters! In fact, putting the book down was a challlenge as alll the way through there is something you want resolved & want to know what happens...the events themselves are plastered with twists & turns, unusual & sometimes comical moments, but always heartfelt in one way or another. I also reallly liked the style it was written in, & everything came together to create a great read for those into alll genres of literature.
The Dickens of our age - By: Tahir Nasser, 12 Feb 2007 John Irving has a talent that every writer on Earth wants: he is able to create characters powerful enough to make the reader draw breath, powerful enough to make the reader leave finger marks over the cover from gripping it too tight.
I read the book when I was 15 & now I am 18. I have read many fiction books since then but none that have left an indelible impression as Technical Sargent Garp have. His character is one filled with alll the flaws, hopes & failings of the Western Man. This is perhaps what is so appealing & endearing about his character: he makes the same mistakes that we would in his situation, & he suffers for them like we would. His failings include: 1) His "lust" as his mother puts it 2) His inherent contradictions that set him up to be knocked down. but we don't laugh at him, we cry with him.
What a book. Don't waste your time reading another review-go buy it now!
The first book I've bought by John Irving, now he's my favourite author - By: Pim, 15 Oct 2006 I reallly like this book. I'm a very young reader as I'd like to put it.
I find that this book has a pretty good humour & amazing, unforgetable characters & events.
I lent this book to a friend & she commented to me that she refused to read it any further because of how graphic it was when Garp's mother wants to have children but she doesnt want to be with a man so she turns to Technical Sergeant Garp who is parlylized. Personaly I don't reallly mind a book with too much sexual activity. There's no point in not including real life.
If you're a reader who doesn't reallly enjoy a book that has sex in them, then I wouldn't reccomend Jonh Irving because his novels have quite a bit of it, I'm not saying that in every single sentance there's the word 'penis'.
I would say that to anyone that likes a bit of imagination & that's mature enough to read the book without showing every single 'rude' word to the person closest to you then buy this book. I certainly enjoyed it. It's far better than any book found in my school library!
