“I won’t pretend that it wasn’t gratifying to hear this, but I would rather have heard it privately; it wasn’t something I… — John Irving Copy Share Image
I never wanted my kids to feel I was more interested in anything I was doing than I was in them. — John Irving Anything Copy Share Image
“it struck him as a brilliant accusation to make of anyone who was slightly (or hugely) different. It was the best rumor… — John Irving Copy Share Image
It's a no-win argument - that business of what we're born with and what our environment does to us. And it's a… — John Irving Argument Copy Share Image
“Remember," Duncan asked on the plane, "how Walt asked if it was green or brown?" Both Garp and Duncan laughed. But it… — John Irving Bad weather Copy Share Image
“She drew the line at television. It took no effort to watch – it was infinitely more beneficial to the soul, and… — John Irving Appalled Copy Share Image
No touching Baby Jesus.” “But we’re his parents!” proclaimed Mary Beth, who was being generous to include poor Joseph under this appellation.… — John Irving Baby Copy Share Image
I believe in plot, in development of character, in the effect of the passage of time, in a good story - better… — John Irving Believe Copy Share Image
The history of a city was like the history of a family—there is closeness and even affection, but death eventually separates everyone… — John Irving Affection Copy Share Image
“As for the river, it just kept moving,as river do--as rivers do. Under the logs, the body of the young Canadian moved… — John Irving River Copy Share Image
“Six-Pack didn't despise George W. Bush to the degree that Ketchum did, but she thought the president was a smirking twerp and… — John Irving America Copy Share Image
“And in our Scripture class, Owen said, "IT'S TRUE THAT THE DISCIPLES ARE STUPID - THEY NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS MEANS, THEY'RE… — John Irving Believe in god Copy Share Image
“But first, he knew he had to apologize for hurting Dr. Larch’s feelings – it had all just slipped out of him,… — John Irving First time Copy Share Image
“So we dream on. Thus we invent our lives. We give ourselves a sainted mother, we make our father a hero; and… — John Irving Dream Copy Share Image
“Did Owen say your grandmother was a banshee?" "He said she was 'wailing like a banshee,'" I explained. Dan got out the… — John Irving First time Copy Share Image
“Oh, what a nation of moralists the Americans are! With what fervor do they relish bringing their sexual misconduct to light! A… — John Irving Moral outrage Copy Share Image
“As often as I feel certain that God exists, I feel as often at a loss to say what difference it makes—that… — John Irving Believe in god Copy Share Image
I'm a worst-case scenario person. I'm only interested in a story because I kind of go, like a magnet, to the worst… — John Irving Cases Copy Share Image
Whereas she wished more of the population were better educated, she also believed that education was largely wasted on the majority of… — John Irving Educated Copy Share Image
A writer's job is to imagine everything so personally that the fiction is as vivid as memories. — John Irving Closeness Copy Share Image
If I had to be anything," he told her, "I'd probably be a socialist, but I don't want to be anything. — John Irving Probably Copy Share Image
I certainly think Obama is the most hopeful president I've seen in the country since John Kennedy. — John Irving Country Copy Share Image
“Mr. Merrill was most appealing because he reassured us that doubt was the essence of faith, and not faith’s opposite.” — John Irving Faith Copy Share Image
What a phrase that is: 'that explains everything!' I know better than to think anything 'explains everything' today. — John Irving Knows Copy Share Image
“Men who believe in good and evil, and who believe that good should win, should watch for those moments when it is… — John Irving God Copy Share Image
Ambition robs you of your childhood. The moment you want to become an adult—in any way—something in your childhood dies. — John Irving Adolescence Copy Share Image
Religious freedom should work two ways: we should be free to practice the religion of our choice, but we must also be… — John Irving Choices Copy Share Image
Whatever I write, no matter how gray or dark the subject matter, it's still going to be a comic novel. — John Irving Books Copy Share Image
Like many successful people he made good use of disappointments - responding to them with energy, with near-frenzied activity, rather than needing… — John Irving Activity Copy Share Image
But who can distinguish between falling in love and imagining falling in love? Even genuinely falling in love is an act of… — John Irving Fall Copy Share Image
I don't really set out to explore grand themes. I set out to tell a story. And one I have to be… — John Irving Able Copy Share Image
“When someone you love dies, and you're not expecting it, you don''t lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces… — John Irving Dies Copy Share Image
Adolescence-is it the first time in life we discover that we have something terrible to hide from those who love us? — John Irving Adolescence Copy Share Image
“You know, it's not only writers who have this problem, but writers really, really have this problem; for us, a so-called train… — John Irving Train of thought Copy Share Image
I believe in rules of behavior, and I'm quite interested in stories about the consequences of breaking those rules. — John Irving About Copy Share Image
“I realize that a writer's business is setting fire to Piggy Sneed-and trying to save him-again and again; forever.” — John Irving Business Copy Share Image
I still believe in getting married in churches and baptizing children. I go through those motions. — John Irving Believe Copy Share Image
If you presume to love something, you must love the process of it much more than you love the finished product. — John Irving Finished Copy Share Image
The more clearly one sees this world; the more one is obliged to pretend it does not exist. — John Irving Doe Copy Share Image
People are either attracted to the unseemly or disapproving of it, or both; yet we try to sound superior to the unseemly… — John Irving Indifferent Copy Share Image
