Shelley Jennings

I wanted to like this book much more than I did. I’m a great fan of John Irving, but this booked dragged on. I kept telling myself that I or our Covid world were the problems, but this is simply not one of Irving’s better books. Parts of it are enjoyable, such as the protagonist’s recounting of his teen years in Iowa city. Other parts, such as the long-winded diatribes about the Catholic Church are dull. I hope Mr. Irving’s next book is better than this one.