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John Irving

post #1 of 21
6/27/02 at 10:50pm
Thread Starter 
Never read anything by him, might want to start. So for those who have read him, is it worth it? What should I pick up?
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post #2 of 21
6/27/02 at 11:27pm
The Cider House Rules, definitely. It's the only book of him I've read, but it was one of those books which I didn't want to end because I fellt such strong connection to the characters, which has only happened to me with very few books.
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post #3 of 21
6/27/02 at 11:38pm
Garp is the only one I've ever read. I think you get the Irving experience from that.
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post #4 of 21
6/27/02 at 11:57pm
Don't go on an Irving kick as most of them are pretty similar. Garp, A Son of the Circus, Hotel New Hampshire are great, A Prayer for Owen Meany is OK, I couldn't finish Cider House, Water Method Man is good, so is 168 (or whatever #) Pound Marriage.
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post #5 of 21
6/28/02 at 12:00am
I suggest another writer.
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post #6 of 21
6/28/02 at 12:51am
Thread Starter 
So he's not that good then?

Name names Kirb, my list is down. After "Blindness" and "The 25th Hour" I have no idea what to read next.
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post #7 of 21
6/28/02 at 12:58am
Oh, don't take me seriously. I just don't like Irving. But I'll throw some names in that Recommendation thread.
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post #8 of 21
6/28/02 at 1:58am
Thread Starter 
Thanks, I started this cause I gots nothing to read and wanted to try him. But if he sucks, I could try something else. Anything, the lack of reading is killing me.
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post #9 of 21
6/28/02 at 2:03am
Tony, you should give him a try. I really liked A Prayer for Owen Meany and Cider House Rules - which is so much better than the flick. I'd also follow Devin's advice - don't go on a kick. Oh, and Garp was especially hard for me to get through.

I'd go with Owen.
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post #10 of 21
6/28/02 at 2:14am
Thread Starter 
I'll pick up Owen this week, I was planning to go on a kick but now I won't.

Thanks for the help.
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post #11 of 21
6/28/02 at 1:42pm
I'll just put some recommendations here in the order I'd recommend them:

Lost - Hans Ulrich Treichel
Being Dead- Jim Crace
Jernigan - David Gates
Diary of a Madman and Other Stories or Dead Souls- Gogol
For the Relief of Unbearable Urges - Nathan Englander
Goodbye Columbus - Philip Roth
Money - Martin Amis

I'd recommend this over everything, but it's poetry:

Fernando Pessoa & Co: Selected Poems
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post #12 of 21
6/28/02 at 1:43pm
True Confessions of an Albino Terrorist - Breyten Breytenbach

Memoir, put that in between Pessoa and Lost.
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post #13 of 21
6/28/02 at 1:56pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, Kirby. That'll help a ton, heading to the bookstore now.
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post #14 of 21
6/28/02 at 4:36pm
Quote:
Innocent Hex:
I'll just put some recommendations here in the order I'd recommend them:

Lost - Hans Ulrich Treichel
Being Dead- Jim Crace
Jernigan - David Gates
Diary of a Madman and Other Stories or Dead Souls- Gogol
For the Relief of Unbearable Urges - Nathan Englander
Goodbye Columbus - Philip Roth
Money - Martin Amis

I'd recommend this over everything, but it's poetry:

Fernando Pessoa & Co: Selected Poems
Brother, you and I have a lot of the same tastes.
To anyone listening, I'd suggest some Knut Hamsun. Specifically Hunger and Mysteries.
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post #15 of 21
6/28/02 at 4:38pm
Add this to the coincidence: I just bought Hunger.
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post #16 of 21
6/28/02 at 4:57pm
I think Being Dead could be the next Sewer phenomenon book, like Kavalier and Klay.
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post #17 of 21
6/28/02 at 5:00pm
That'd be cool, but I'm not so sure.
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post #18 of 21
6/28/02 at 5:35pm
Wasn't one of his gonna be made into a movie with George Clooney? Can't remember the title....something about a missing hand or something.

If you mentioned it already and I just didn't see it, shame on me.
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post #19 of 21
6/28/02 at 5:46pm
Thread Starter 
The Fourth Hand
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post #20 of 21
6/28/02 at 6:07pm
Ok, thanks Tony. That was it.
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post #21 of 21
6/29/02 at 11:44am
My highest highest recommendation also goes to Junot Diaz' Drown.

And there's comic books in it too.
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