Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: I--like many readers--thought the beginning was a bit slow, but the story quickly takes on life 1/3 of the way through. Irving is masterful at character development, and his subtle shifts from scene-to-scene are wonderful. The only thing that bewildered me was the use of dates. Why didn't he ever use complete years, instead of leaving off the last number...i.e., 194_ etc. Does anyone know why he did this? That's a pretty minor criticism, though. This book is a masterpiece!
Rating: 
Summary: OK
Review: This book was ok. It was mildly entertaining and I did like the ending. The characters were all very good. I got kind of grossed out by the graphic descriptions of abortions and I felt that there were too many of them. One would have done the trick.
Rating: 
Summary: A good read
Review: This was my first JI book and I really enjoyed it. I liked how all of the characters were written to be so human. They all showed their strengths and flaws and even in the best people, there were dark things about them. No one was perfect. This book made you think too, it made you debate the abotion issue in your own head, because you were not presented with a "this is how it should be" view crammed down your throat, there were debates inside the book. JI's book is filled with rich imagery and characterizations, I recommend to all.
Rating:
Summary: Not a JI fan, but there was something about this one...
Review: I liked this book not only because of the stand it took on certain issues (i.e. always two sides to a story/an issue and neither are necessarily entirely wrong, or right, holy v evil, primal v social (the obvious is the abortion issue, another is the relationship of Rose v Mr Rose to name but two) even the most despicable characters have their moment of redemption), but also in the manner with which , in a perfect world, people would/should interact with each other - in agreement or not. There is a higher ratio of saintly, Godly, devoted, nice, honest people in this book that you would find in real life... This book doesn't have as much the "surreal" tone to it as his other novels have, which was good news to me. Though it does have detail, lots of it, it only benefits its "distinct flavor". Bottom line: Bravo.
Rating: 
Summary: Tip for John Irving
Review: One word: Euphony. Look it up.
Rating:
Summary: Good Story but..
Review: I loved this story but some parts really dragged I had to force myself to keep picking it up but I'm glad I did because the story itself was compelling this is the first novel I've read of John Irvings I would like to try another one.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting book
Review: The book was captivating although a little long. It could have been shortened 100 pages without a loss to the story line (especially all those parentheses)! Overall, it was quite entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: A charming book...but not his best
Review: I have read many of John Irvings books, in fact i am a devoted fan of his. This book was wonderful and i have no complaints. However it does not have the same formula as his other books. It's more traditional and not as unique as ones such as my all time favorite "A prayer for Owen Meany." If you loved cider house rules which i did. YOu'll go crazy over Owen Meany. Overall i did enjoy this book very much, it's just that compared to Irving's other novels, i cant possibly give it 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: New to Irving
Review: This book is wonderful (I have 50 pages left). I am new to John Irving's novels, and am curious to read more. While the book dragged at certain points, overall it was a heart-touching tale of orphans and the only man who devotes himself to them. As for the abortion theme, it was definitely an apropos subject to touch upon in this novel. With Dr. Larch as the "master" and Homer as the "student" they still remain quite their own persons (notably in relation to their views on abortion), and have stark differences which makes their relationship compelling.
Rating:
Summary: This one will move you!
Review: This book is a roller-coaster ride of emotion. It will make you laugh and cry. John Irving has this uncanny way of taking you off your gaurd, and then shocking you with some enlightening tid bit. The main character is an orphan, and if you've read many of Irving's novels, this is no great surprise. However, this particular story of a monastic young man, and his growth into adulthood is inspiring. It lends hope to the hopeless and security to the insecure. It's plainly a good story... we need more of those.
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