“The World According to Garp is, to me, the best-written example of whatever elusive literary quality makes a human being capable of sobbing and laughing simultaneously. Those are each extraordinarily difficult emotions to elicit; to do so in tandem is remarkable, but requires the kind of evocation that critics might call outright provocation instead. They […]
Here Come the Ghosts Again
I think the early signs of my interest in ghosts are the epilogues I’ve written to many of my novels — I love epilogues. They are a way to keep the dead alive. The first draft of the Epilogue to The World According to Garp was twice as long as any of the other chapters. […]
The World According to Garp: A Note from John Irving
This year I’m celebrating the 40th anniversary of the publication of my novel, The World According to Garp. I remember thinking the title of my fourth novel would change; The World According to Garp was always just a working title until something better came along…