by Irving, John
First published 2012
T.S. Garp grows up as the bastard son of Jenny Fields, a feminist leader who defies the conventions of her era. Jenny raises her boy in a world where sexual politics turn violent and personal relationships become battlegrounds. Garp witnesses his mother's rise to fame while struggling with his own ambitions as a writer. Their lives intersect with characters who inhabit sexual extremes, where passion can turn deadly and political convictions lead to assassination. Mother and son face a society that both celebrates and punishes those who challenge its norms. Through episodes both tragic and absurd, Garp learns that comedy and catastrophe often arrive together. The story reveals how people create meaning in a world where everyone faces the same inevitable ending, finding humor and connection despite the darkness that surrounds them.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Period: 20th-century
608 pages · Kindle Edition · Transworld Digital
Content warnings: violence