Synopsis
One dozen short works by the best-selling author of The World According to Garp include the title piece, a loving portrait of the author's grandmother, and additional stories under such headings as "The Pension Grillparzer" and "Dinner at the White House." 150,000 first printing.
Reviews
Irving proves himself, once again, a garrulous and engaging raconteur in this collection of fiction and nonfiction divided into three sections: Memoirs, Fiction and Homage. In the last, while admiring the work of Gunter Grass, he notes that "Grass is never so insecure as to be polite." Given Irving's fascination with the malfunctioning or assaulted human body, one can't help feeling that he's defending his own work?both acne (in the story, "Brennbar's Rant") and genital warts (the O. Henry Prize-winning "Interior Space") figure in these pages. Sometimes, however, Irving's grotesquerie lacks the compassion with which his favorite writer, Dickens, moderated his caricatures. In the title essay (in which Irving relates his discovery of the powers of fiction-making), Piggy Sneed, the retarded garbage collector and pig farmer whose disappearance stimulates Irving's imagination, is harshly ridiculed: Sneed "smelled worse than any man I ever smelled?with the possible exception of a dead man I caught the scent of, once, in Istanbul." There are other, more engaging pieces: an amusing account of a dinner at the Reagan White House; an early, sentimental story, "Weary Kingdom," about a lonely woman; and, best of all, "The Imaginary Girlfriend," a rambling autobiographical sketch with a heavy emphasis on the mentors and rivals who shaped Irving's defining obsessions?wrestling and writing. Each of the 12 sections is followed by "Author's Notes"; "The Imaginary Girlfriend" is supplemented with personal photographs (not seen by PW). 150,000 first printing; BOMC selection; author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
When the going gets tough, the tough...go through their desk drawers. John Irving has not been on top of his game since The Cider House Rules (LJ 6/1/85) and in an effort to showcase the old talent, Irving offers a collection of past writings. Not strictly a work of fiction, Sneed includes memoirs, short stories, and "Homages"-tributes to Charles Dickens and Gunter Grass. Written in 1967 when Irving was a student at the Iowa Writer's Workshop, "Weary Kingdom," about a middle-aged dorm mother at a Boston college, reveals a maturing writer, growing comfortable portraying the quirky aspects of his subjects that characterize his work. "The Imaginary Girlfriend," the most recent of the essays (to be illustrated with Irving's photos-not seen), outlines the parallel lines of his wrestling career and reading history. In spite of its unevenness, Sneed is recommended for fiction and literature collections based on Irving's reputation.
Adam Mazmanian, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Only a writer with a track record as good as Irving could get this uneven collection of memoirs, short stories, and literary essays published at all, let alone to the tune of a 150,000-copy first printing. There are, however, some high points. In the title tale, Irving explains how his grandmother and Piggy Sneed the garbage man inspired him to become a writer. Devilishly funny and extremely shrewd, Irving, tells us that he realized early on that "comedy was just another form of condolence." Another effective memoir, "The Imaginary Girlfriend," is full of poignant and comical incidents from Irving's school days involving his dyslexia, love for nineteenth-century novels (a real challenge to read given his ailment), and devotion to wrestling. Yes, anyone who knows anything about Irving knows that next to writing, wrestling is his raison d'etre, and there's loads of wrestling lore here, but Irving keeps it lively. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the short fiction in this collection. Irving has written eight novels in 28 years and only 6 short stories he'll admit to. Perhaps he should stick to the novels. Donna Seaman
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
