Saturday, January 21, 2006

A Widow for One Year - John Irving

In following the life of Ruth Cole from age 4 into adulthood, the story portrays the shortcomings and ultimate positive character of her parents, her mother's younger lover, her best friend, and others who Ruth touches through her own novels. We see Ruth's growth from sadness, to anger, to acceptance of her life and those around her.

Overall, I most like John Irving's style of writing. He drops blunt statements that tell you the outcome you'll try to "peek ahead" for in a novel, before giving you the details on how you get there. His common themes preside over this novel as his others: the abandonment of a parent, character growth, and just a little bit of perversion (but with a European attitude about it).

It has been years since I was so intrigued and moved by a novel. The last chapter brought the story full circle and brought tears to my eyes. I highly recommend reading this book.

In Progress:
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest -Ken Kesey
Catch 22 -Joseph Heller
Emma -Jane Austen
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius -Dave Eggers

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home