I haven’t read any of the novels either, though I had a book of his stories sitting around in a convenient place for a while. “A & P” is a famous one, and you can read it, leisurely, in about ten minutes. They are good, I remember a lot of the details and descriptions in them still, and in a pleasing way. I have to say I don’t really remember what they’re supposed to be . If I remember the stories tend to go along at a pretty low-intensity pace of action, then suddenly they end, and I at least have to skim over the story again trying to figure out what was supposed to be important. The style is good, though.
For what it’s worth, my roommate at St John’s, who was a New York (or at least a Westchester) guy, and was generally pretty caustic towards the whole New Yorker (Magazine) presentation of the world, was a big fan of the Rabbit books.
I haven’t read any Irving, and he doesn’t sound like somebody I would like. I have the impression that my wife likes a few of his early books, but she is from New Hampshire, as he is, so I think that may explain it.
Who was the third guy, Cheever? A great and dedicated drinker, by all accounts, of the sort we don’t see anymore among the respectable classes (everybody is too professional or beyond such carrying on nowadays). I did read once, but it wasn’t very good. There was a lot of incredibly depressing sex in it, though I don’t think it was supposed to be. I just don’t find him either funny or good-natured.
I haven’t read any of the novels either, though I had a book of his stories sitting around in a convenient place for a while. “A & P” is a famous one, and you can read it, leisurely, in about ten minutes. They are good, I remember a lot of the details and descriptions in them still, and in a pleasing way. I have to say I don’t really remember what they’re supposed to be . If I remember the stories tend to go along at a pretty low-intensity pace of action, then suddenly they end, and I at least have to skim over the story again trying to figure out what was supposed to be important. The style is good, though.
For what it’s worth, my roommate at St John’s, who was a New York (or at least a Westchester) guy, and was generally pretty caustic towards the whole New Yorker (Magazine) presentation of the world, was a big fan of the Rabbit books.
I haven’t read any Irving, and he doesn’t sound like somebody I would like. I have the impression that my wife likes a few of his early books, but she is from New Hampshire, as he is, so I think that may explain it.
Who was the third guy, Cheever? A great and dedicated drinker, by all accounts, of the sort we don’t see anymore among the respectable classes (everybody is too professional or beyond such carrying on nowadays). I did read once, but it wasn’t very good. There was a lot of incredibly depressing sex in it, though I don’t think it was supposed to be. I just don’t find him either funny or good-natured.
looks like you’re in good company, sonny boy