Is John Irving a genre? Is now.
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is ‘Favourite Characters in Genre X’. When I saw the topic I started thinking about my favourite characters in contemporary literature, lad-lit, chick-lit and foodie-lit. But then I decided I haven’t crapped on about John Irving in AGES, so now we have Irving-lit, a newly-minted genre devoted to the fabulousness that is John Irving.
In no particular order, here are my favourite Irving characters –
1. Daniel Baciagalupo / Danny Angel from Last Night in Twisted River.
2. The bears. There’s always a bear.
3. Owen Meany from A Prayer for Owen Meany.
4. Fuzzy Stone from The Cider House Rules (Good night Fuzzy Stone!)
5. Ketchum from Last Night in Twisted River.
6. Sorrow, the family dog, from The Hotel New Hampshire.
7. John Berry from The Hotel New Hampshire (see previous post on Rob Lowe).
8. Ruth Cole from A Widow for One Year.
9. Vienna – not a character but an Irving signature.
10. Dr. Wilbur Larch from The Cider House Rules who is credited with one of my favourite Irving lines – “Good night—you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England!”
I accept that this post will probably not thrill anyone except Rory at Fourth Street Review. Apologies.
No apologies necessary. This just makes me want to finally get around to reading a John Irving novel. lol
Ha! But which one?! 😉
I haven’t read any of John Irving’s books but I am hoping to check out A Prayer for Owen Meany one these days. Thanks for sharing this list, will have to check out some of his other books now 🙂
Here’s my Top Ten for this week 🙂
So, yes, it is a genre. Two makes it a consensus and the consensus say yes. I would add Garp to my list and second John, Owen, Sorrow, Ruth, and Dr. Wilbur Larch.
I love Good night—you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England! I’ve been known to say it and get questioning looks. When Joe Hill (one of my favorites) tweeted it the other night, my world felt complete. It is somehow reassuring to know that one of your favorite authors love your other favorite author. Did you know that Stephen King adores A Prayer for Owen Meany (his blurb is on one of the latest American releases)? And I just got Owen King’s Double Feature ARC? It’s been a good week.
Will be very keen to read your review of Double Feature. It looks great.
I didn’t know Stephen King liked Owen meany! Agree that it’s fab knowing one favourite author loves another favourite author although I was CRUSHED to discover that John Irving DOESN’T LIKE Henry James. At all. CRUSHED.
Quite and Irving fan myself. So cudos.
Thanks for the list. Brings back great book memories 🙂
Just making this list made me want to start a great long Irving retrospective.
Well why not?
What the hey? Who decides what’s a genre anyway? I’ve read a few Irving books but am not quite as big a fan as you, obviously! I loved Alice from the tattoo one. Can’t remember the title.
Here’s mine: http://annabelsmith.tumblr.com/post/43458405509/top-10-tuesday-favourite-speculative-fiction
That book was ‘Until I Find You’ – I liked that character too.
Yes!