crabbygirl reviewed The 158-Pound Marriage by John Irving
Review of 'The 158-Pound Marriage' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
the title caught my eye as i passed a book shelf in the library on my way out the door with the next book club book. it's john irving, and i've liked his complex, weird characters in the past, so i gave it a shot.
it's about 2 couples who openly swap spouses, but of course not everyone is equally pleased with the arrangement. from the start, the narrator seems to love himself, and hate the other guy which is expected. it takes awhile to peel all the layers (blinded by the narrator's point of view) but all the characters are loathsome, lying, selfish pricks. the women too. it's not a good idea to have a book without one redeeming character; you gotta like / identify with somebody
oh, and not a fan of the wrestling subtext. who is honestly attracted to stocky men with no bums and tiny thighs? …
the title caught my eye as i passed a book shelf in the library on my way out the door with the next book club book. it's john irving, and i've liked his complex, weird characters in the past, so i gave it a shot.
it's about 2 couples who openly swap spouses, but of course not everyone is equally pleased with the arrangement. from the start, the narrator seems to love himself, and hate the other guy which is expected. it takes awhile to peel all the layers (blinded by the narrator's point of view) but all the characters are loathsome, lying, selfish pricks. the women too. it's not a good idea to have a book without one redeeming character; you gotta like / identify with somebody
oh, and not a fan of the wrestling subtext. who is honestly attracted to stocky men with no bums and tiny thighs? (the author's description, not my inference)
