A Widow for One Year

Reader reviewed by mzblonde

i thought this book was really good. i chose it for my english project and i am really happy with my decision. its very controversial and mysterious. granted, it is extrememly long, but i found it hard to put down! Ruth Cole is one of teh wildest characters i have read about.

Reader reviewed by Bookworm9

I was a bit surprised to see this book listed here, especially with only a 14+ label. As with all of John Irving's books, there's plenty of "adult material" here, mainly of a sexual nature. Irving's books are always over-the-top in their shock value, but unfortunately this one is just shocking, and doesn't include the great relationships of some of his other books (i.e. "A Prayer for Owen Meany" and "The Cider House Rules"). This is just a sad tale of an extremely dysfunctional family over the span of decades, namely the daughter, Ruth, who is searching for happiness in life. The premise itself isn't bad, but Irving just gets too bogged down with goofy situations.

Reader reviewed by L. Eustace

Ruth's mother left her at 4 years old, and obviously, she has never forgiven her mother for doing that. Struggling to keep her temper as a best-selling writer, she researches people for her books, writing about herself and her life, even though she claims she does not.

This is another comical and maybe even mockish novel by John Irving. His humor is just so wild it's crazy. As usual, the characters in this book are a little unusual, and the story is just as weird as it can get.