John Irving's Writings

English > Analysis
English > Argument
Literature > American

Details how John Irving went about writing two of his works, "A Widow for One Year" and "The World According to Garp," and how how they are considered rather unbelievable at times.

3,458 words () | 12 sources | MLA | 2002 United States

Paper Summary:

John Irving created a fantastic compilation of inconceivable events that were meant to be a social commentary intertwined with a grotesque, violent, and hysterical plot in "A Widow for One Year" and "The World According to Garp". The paper argues, however, that Irving exploits and manipulates his characters and involves them in an improbable chain of events that the most devoted reader might have trouble believing. The paper shows that because of the outrageous scenes in Irving's works, he is often not considered a serious writer, and his credibility is discredited due to his inability to write believable material.

From the Paper:

"Another problem found in Irving's novels is a trend toward oversimplification. Irving's narratives seem unenthusiastic at times, yet blossom during the bloody, violent, and repulsive scenes prevalent throughout the novels. The most ominous, widespread problem Irving has is his trend toward digressing away from the more important moral and thematic scenes, and stressing the "entertaining" and ridiculously obscure scenes. Irving's writing has been compared to "...a postcard from a child at summer camp..." due to his repetitive style and his "...poverty of language." Irving's lack of syntactical usage is not an indication that he does not know how to write, but rather that he chooses to use his great ability at the wrong time."