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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
A gruesome car accident, sexual assault, and violence against women are significant plot elements
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
A lot
Explicit sexual content; multiple scenes of sexuality including references to rape and sexual assault
Substance Use
Barely any
Alcohol use in social contexts
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Explores grief, obsession, mortality, and the psychological aftermath of trauma
What this book is about
John Irving's breakout novel follows T.S. Garp from his unconventional conception through his life as a writer, husband, and father. Funny and darkly tragic by turns, the novel tackles feminism, sexuality, violence, and the randomness of fate with Irving's characteristic exuberance. One of the defining American novels of the 1970s.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Graphic sexual assault and its aftermath
Explicit sexuality
Graphic accident and injury
Feminist and anti-feminist violence themes
Reader Verification
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More Contemporary Fiction books from the catalog.
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