Rebecca Freeman

Rebecca Freeman
The World According to Garp
John Irving
Realistic Fiction
Challenge
466

1) Right now Garp and his family are at his editors house. They are staying until it is time to board their plane to Vienna, Austria. After Garp got into a car accident and killed his youngest son (a 5 year old) he channeled all of his feelings into his third novel, The World According to Bensenhaver. John Wolf, the editor, hated the book when he first read it. He gave the manuscript to a cleaning lady who hates all books except the best. She said that although she hated it she couldn't stop reading it. John Wolf decides to publish it but he tells Garp to leave the country for a few months because the reviews are going to be so painful. Garp argues but his son Duncan and Helen persuade him. So, Garp, Helen, Duncan and baby Jenny are staying with the editor until they leave on the plane.

2) I don't like this book very much. It is hard to describe. I don't like the writing style. I read another of John Irving's books, A Prayer For Owen Meany and it had the same style. The writing was not exactly captivating but for some reason, I can't stop reading it and I have been going through it pretty quickly. Also, both A Prayer For Owen Meany and The World According to Garp take place through the main character's whole life, instead of just one year. Because of this, the book jumps around, skipping a few years and then spending three chapters on one.

3) A theme that I noticed in this book was being overprotective. Garp is extremely protective of his children- more than necessary. He treats them like they were three years old. Garp constantly asked them questions and did not let Walt go outside or do many things when he had a cold- which was most of the time. Garp would also chase speeding cars until he caught up with them- usually at a stop sign- and he would tell them not to speed in his neighborhood because he had small children.

4) My favorite character right now is Duncan. He is my favorite character because of how he handles his situation after the accident. Duncan lost his right eye during the car accident. However, after the accident Duncan did not spend his time dwelling on his loss. I'm sure that he did think about it and miss it a lot, but he didn't waste time on the subject. Also, he isn't embarrassed by it and is not shy about people noticing it.

5) My least favorite character is Helen. At first I liked her because she seemed a good person who was kind of critical but overall, nice and honest. Then she had an affair with an ugly, obnoxious student. The affair lasted for many weeks, and she only broke it off with him because Garp told her she had to. If Helen hadn't had an affair, Walt would still be alive, Duncan would have both eyes, and Garp and Helen would still love each other. I also hate how Helen always thinks that she is right and she did the right thing.

6) I think that when they get to Vienna Garp will remember how life was back then and how he had been an enthusiastic writer so he will write several more books. He and Helen will be able to live together but they won't really love each other the way they did before. I think that The World According to Bensenhaver will be a semi-popular book, but not for that long, it won't be famous. However, I think that Garp will get a lot of money from it and a decent amount from his later books. They will move back to a different suburban town in the north east and Helen will teach at a different university.