Book #18
The World According To Garp is a book about a father’s fears, and is lurid with death, violence, and complications. Featuring the themes of rape, bears and Vienna, which have recurred in everything I’ve read by John Irving, at least this time the bear’s role is only a cameo; otherwise it might start to get a bit old.
This book fails to live up to either The Hotel New Hampshire or A Prayer For Owen Meany, which is still my book of the year.
Garp is a writer of sorts, and the son of a famous feminist whose story is far more engaging than his own. Sadly it is his life, and the various deaths, injuries, infidelities and sex-changes of the other characters, that take up most of the book. It is of course beautifully written and an easy read, but perhaps I need to take a break from John Irving for a little while.
3/5

At the weekend, we watched On The Town, and while taking notes about things to see in New York, I remembered that a little while ago, Stuart asked for pre-New York book recommendations; like him, I like to do my literary homework before travelling. The thing is, an awful lot of novels are very-New-York, and even more are very-USA, which I think makes it difficult to single out a few for recommendation.
Of course I’ve read The Catcher In The Rye and we taped The Bonfire of the Vanities when it was on last week.
I mean to go down to the library and see if they have Breakfast At Tiffany’s later in the week; what else should I be looking for?

You’re stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?
Like qB, I haven’t read the book, assuming it’s a book – but I understand that the question actually means If you had to memorise a book, which book would you memorise?
From a lazy perspective, and that usually is my perspective, I’d say Julius Caesar, since I memorised it once already. Only, I further understand that the idea is to memorise a book that you wouldn’t like to see lost to humanity, so I’d have to say Wuthering Heights. I expect it is terribly cliched to choose a Bronte novel, but there you are. Wuthering Heights really shouldn’t be lost to humanity.
Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?
Well, there’s Heathcliff. Biggles (and his co-pilots). Aragorn. Ged. The Amazons (I know they were girls, but the Swallows were so wet). Oh, any rescuing hero, you can bet I would’ve had a crush on him. The somewhat darker, tragic heros were the ones I liked; none of yer Darcys for me, apart from Laurence in Little Women, but he was artistic. And totally gay, I should think. Owen Meany, I’m afraid. Endless, endless list; impossible to name them all.
The last book you bought is?
The Rough Guide to New York, wither I head in May. But I think I’m supposed to be telling you about fiction, in which case it’s The World According To Garp, which was 20p in the library sale. Bargain. Libraries are ace, and I will have to go back there soon, as my to-read pile is all but empty again.
What are you currently reading?
See last question. Both of those, and No Logo by Naomi Klein.
Five books you would take to a deserted island:
1. Midnight’s Children, which I keep meaning to read again.
2. The Lord of the Rings; I don’t remember how many times I’ve read it, but I’m sure it’s good for a few more.
3. A Jane Austen anthology, because that would last me ages.
4. The Northern Lights trilogy. Definitely one to re-read, because it had so many levels and I’m bound to have missed a few.
5. Brewer’s Phrase & Fable, because assuming there’s no internet connection on the island, this is the next best thing for browsing.
It really depends how long I’m going to be on the deserted island, of course, but if we’re just talking holiday reading, I’d probably pack something quite light that I hadn’t read yet.
Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?
Pete – because I always want to know what he’s thinking [insert winky icon]
Dr Pockless – because he reads the best books, and he gives me the best books as presents.
Mr AdHoc – because I have no idea what he reads, but he writes very well, so it’s safe to assume that he reads very well.