Like alot of books I like (For some reason, James Hilton and Richard Russo come immediately to mind), Garp, despite extraordinary events, creates a believably mundane world which is enjoyable to follow. But in the final reckoning, I don’t think there’s anything that will ever stand out in my memory. So: enjoyable throughout, but unsatisfying in the end. My only real qualm is that the book excerpts fiction written by the titular character at length, which I think put it at a disadvantage. In particular, a short story which Garp writes, and is shared in full, is later referred to repeatedly for its greatness. As so much of the book rests on believing in Garp’s greatness as a writer, it would have worked better if I hadn’t read the whole short story which is the pinnacle of his career, particularly as I though it was pretty bad… Looking forward to reading a shorter, more succinct book next.