'A Widow for One Year' by John Irving is a complex novel that follows the life of Ruth, a character who experiences a range of emotions and events from childhood to adulthood. The story delves into Ruth's relationships, struggles, and personal growth, portraying her as a multifaceted individual dealing with grief, love, and the complexities of life. The narrative weaves together different timelines and perspectives, offering a rich and detailed exploration of Ruth's journey as a child, writer, mother, and lover. Despite some flaws in cohesion, the book is praised for its interesting storytelling, deep character development, and the way it captures the essence of Ruth's life through various stages.
The novel is noted for its intricate storytelling, rich details, and compelling characters that drive the plot forward. Readers appreciate the depth and complexity of the narrative, which combines elements of love, mystery, and real-life drama. The book explores themes of family dysfunction, grief, abandonment, loyalty, and the unpredictable nature of life. John Irving's writing style is described as funny, outrageous, and sad, with a knack for creating vivid characters and engaging storylines that keep readers invested in Ruth's tumultuous life journey.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for A Widow for One Year include themes of grief, loss of children, infidelity, explicit sexual content, and potentially triggering material involving mental health.
Has Romance?
The book features a medium level of romance with intertwined relationships and affairs that play a crucial role in character development.
From The Publisher:
In A Widow for One Year, we follow Ruth Cole through three of the most pivotal times in her life: from her girlhood on Long Island (in the summer of 1958) through the fall of 1990 (when she is an unmarried woman whose personal life is not nearly as successful as her literary career), and at last in the autumn of 1995, when Ruth is a forty-one-year-old widow and mother (and she's about to fall in love for the first time). Both elegiac and erotic, A Widow for One Year is a multilayered love story of astonishing emotional force.
Ratings (13)
Incredible (1) | |
Loved It (3) | |
Liked It (4) | |
It Was OK (2) | |
Did Not Like (2) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (25):
Read It (15) | |
Want To Read (7) | |
Not Interested (3) |
1 comment(s)
Well this was disappointing, don't know why I had such high hopes on this as I've only given his books three stars at the moment. The story wasn't interestingly at all and the characters was terrible written. I had bought this and another one of his books on a flea market so might give him a 4th and last try
What can you read after
A Widow for One Year?
About the Author:
JOHN IRVING, born in Exeter, New Hampshire, published his first novel, Setting Free the Bears, when he was twenty-six. His most popular novel, worldwide, is A Prayer for Owen Meany, published in 1989. In 2000, Mr. Irving won the Oscar…
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