It's not right to hurt or deceive someone who's already been hurt and deceived. — John Irving Been hurt Copy Share Image
It's because even a good man can't always be right, that we need ... rules. — John Irving Good man Copy Share Image
Garp drank the beer and wondered if everything was an anticlimax.. — John Irving Beer Copy Share Image
“I'm just a woman with a penis!" she would say, her voice rising.” — John Irving Penis Copy Share Image
“I TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY HARD.” — John Irving Faith Copy Share Image
When I love a novel I've read, I want to reread it - in part, to see how it was constructed. — John Irving Books Copy Share Image
“I'll tell you what's wrong with dumb-shit patriotism--it's delusional! It signifies nothing but the American need to win” — John Irving Delusional Copy Share Image
“Like any good novel, it lulled him into an almost tranquil state of awareness before it jolted him - it caught him… — John Irving Books Copy Share Image
I wasn't afraid of anything until I had a kid. Then I was terrified because immediately I could imagine a hundred ways… — John Irving Afraid Copy Share Image
“Of course, apologies are rarely acceptable to true believers - or to anyone who believes in *pure* good, or in pure evil.” — John Irving Apologies Copy Share Image
“Once again, Jack reached for her hand. It was the only thing he knew how to do. As it would turn out,… — John Irving Heart Copy Share Image
It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind… — John Irving Change Copy Share Image
I have a friend who says that reviewers are the tickbirds of the literary rhinoceros-but he is being kind. Tickbirds perform a… — John Irving Be kind Copy Share Image
I don't begin a novel until I have written, not just the last sentence, but usually, as a result thereof, many of… — John Irving Books Copy Share Image
“For a terrible time of life a teen-ager deceives himself; he believes he can trick the world. He believes he is invulnerable.… — John Irving Adolescence Copy Share Image
Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides… — John Irving Forget Copy Share Image
We don't always have a choice how we get to know one another. Sometimes, people fall into our lives cleanly--as if out… — John Irving Choice Copy Share Image
Sigmund Freud was a novelist with a scientific background. He just didn't know he was a novelist. All those damn psychiatrists after… — John Irving Backgrounds Copy Share Image
Anybody can do research. The plotting of the novel, writing the ending before you write anything else, which I always do -… — John Irving Always Copy Share Image
“The one critisism the author of Slaugherhouse-Five would make of the young writer was what he called a punctuation problem. Mr. Vonnegut… — John Irving Books Copy Share Image
“The Winkles appeared to greet the morning vigorously. Although Homer had never heard human beings make love, or moose mate, he knew… — John Irving Love Copy Share Image
“Some producer actually told Franny that profanity revealed a poor vocabulary and a lack of imagination. And Frank and Lilly and Father… — John Irving Copy Share Image
“Dr. Larch bent over him and kissed him, very lightly, on his lips. Homer heard Dr. Larch whisper, ‘Good work, Homer.’ He… — John Irving Last time Copy Share Image
“while we waited to see what God would do. I heard a tear fall—it was one of my grandmother’s tears, and I… — John Irving Books Copy Share Image
“REMEMBER WATAHANTOWET?” he asked me. “I remember,” I said. Then he smiled at the “penguin” who was trying to make him comfortable… — John Irving Nun Nodded Copy Share Image
“Mother's intentions were always sound, never muddy; I don't imagine that she troubled herself to feel very guilty. But the Rev. Mr.… — John Irving Brooding Copy Share Image
“to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal,’”… — John Irving Courage Copy Share Image
Homer and Candy passed by the empty and brightly lit dispensary; they peeked into Nurse Angela's empty office. Homer knew better than… — John Irving Angela Copy Share Image
