The Water-Method Man (Ballantine Reader's Circle) [Paperback]

John Irving (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 23, 1997 | Series: Ballantine Reader's Circle

The main character of John Irving's second novel, written when the author was twenty-nine, is a perpetual graduate student with a birth defect in his urinary tract--and a man on the threshold of committing himself to a second marriage that bears remarkable resemblance to his first....
"Three or four times as funny as most novels."
THE NEW YORKER


From the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

8 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

From the Inside Flap

The main character of John Irving's second novel, written when the author was twenty-nine, is a perpetual graduate student with a birth defect in his urinary tract--and a man on the threshold of committing himself to a second marriage that bears remarkable resemblance to his first....
"Three or four times as funny as most novels."
THE NEW YORKER


From the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (June 23, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034541800X
• ISBN-13: 978-0345418005
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Irving published his first novel, Setting Free the Bears, in 1968. He has been nominated for a National Book Award three times-winning once, in 1980, for the novel The World According to Garp. He also received an O. Henry Award, in 1981, for the short story "Interior Space." In 1992, Mr. Irving was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2000, he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules-a film with seven Academy Award nominations. In 2001, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Last Night in Twisted River is John Irving's twelfth novel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite Irving novel!, January 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Water-Method Man (Mass Market Paperback)

This was the first Irving novel I read--almost 10 years ago, at the age of 16--and as much as I love Garp, Owen Meany, and other Irving novels I have since read, Water-Method Man continues to be my favorite. First, few books make me laugh out loud. This is one of them. It's also one of the three books I don't go anywhere without. More importantly, it's a book about growing up (whether you want to or not), about taking responsibility for your past mistakes, and about having the courage to get at the root of your problems so that you can stumble, however blindly, toward what the future might bring you. The writing is brilliant. It is true that the chapters go back and forth in time; however, this is done to underscore the fact that Bogus Trumper is about to repeat some of his most disastrous mistakes. And if the chapters detailing Merrill's attempt to teach Bogus to ski and Bogus's "duck-hunting" escapade can't make you laugh, nothing can. Definitely a book for the reader who wants to think--and laugh. Enjoy!

44 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why is this book not famous?, January 16, 2000

By 

David Benioff (Otisville, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Water-Method Man (Mass Market Paperback)

My sister so loved the hero of this novel, Bogus Trumper, that she named her cat after him. And while I'm not a fan of the cat, I do love this novel. No other book has made me laugh so hard. One scene in particular had me gasping for breath (I won't ruin it by describing it-- suffice it to say that it involves a prophylactic and attempted infidelity and that you will know it when you come to it).

The Water-Method Man is far from perfect; I don't suppose it will hold up as well as The World According to Garp. But some books you love despite all their flaws and limitations. God knows John Irving made me very happy for a while.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a masterpiece of multi-layering, October 31, 2001

By 

NotATameLion (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Water-Method Man (Ballantine Reader's Circle) (Paperback)

To emulate a memorable character from a novel written by one of John Irving's favorite authors..."Does one 'sniff' a hint of Robertson Davies's multilayering of plot? Perhaps a bit of Buechner's comedic wit? I believe so."

Now, with that said, I'll just come out and say what I feel--"The Water-Method Man" is an often grotesque, but consistently hilarious book. Rarely do I laugh audibly while reading a novel. I did so a lot while reading "The Water-Method Man."

In "The Water-Method Man" (his second novel) Irving made a gigantic leap in plot complexity from his first novel, "Setting Free the Bears" (also a favorite of mine). "Bears" had largely a tripartite soul as far as its plot went--nice and neat. "The Water-Method Man" is a masterpiece of nonlinear, multi-plotline story telling.

Again, more than anything, this book is FUNNY (yep...all caps funny). Even the chapter headings are humorous. A few examples: "Prelude to the Last Stand"; "One Long Mother of a Day"; Slouching Towards Overturf" "Another Dante, A Different Hell."

The characters of "The Water-Method Man" really do come to life. Biggie, Couth, Dante, Arnold Mulcahy and Tulpen will all stick in the reader's mind for a long time to come.

The Trumper--Thump-Thump--Fred--Bogus character is hard not to like even at his most despicable. This could almost be a parable about the kind of trouble we humans seem to get into without fail when we have no real help outside of ourselves.

The character of Merrill Overturf is sure to strike a cord with anyone who has ever been a little "off" in their formative years. I found him the most humorous of all the characters, almost a Platonic ideal of humor.

The subplots of Akthelt and Gunnel (an old low Norse epic poem Trumper is translating throughout most of the book) and the movie Packer makes of Thump-Thump's life (the title of which I will not mention here) are both ingenious literary devices. They also provide consistent comic relief (bottled insanity) from the more toned down comedy.

While I cannot endorse the vulgarity of some of this book, I am indeed glad I read it. It has helped me to see from a perspective (in some cases mind you--other stuff here is just plain bizarre--never been through it) that I once saw the world from. It is always useful to look back.

For whatever it is worth, I just thought I'd share my thoughts on the book with you. This is one of the funniest books you'll ever get for your money. But strange.