“She asserted that the best fictional detail was a chosen detail, not a remembered one - for fictional truth was not only… — John Irving Fiction writing Copy Share Image
With every book, you go back to school. You become a student. You become an investigative reporter. You spend a little time… — John Irving Back Copy Share Image
They all settled into being the kind of friends when they heard from each other.... or when they occasionally got together. And… — John Irving Friendship Copy Share Image
Kids are beautiful, man. And they know much more than grownups think they know. Kids are just perfect people until grownups get… — John Irving Beautiful Copy Share Image
I think better of our behaviour as individuals than I do when we see ourselves as members of a group. It's when… — John Irving Art form Copy Share Image
“I didn't try to say the penis word for Elaine. "Cock," I said to her.” — John Irving Cock-crow Copy Share Image
Never confuse faith, or belief—of any kind—with something even remotely intellectual. — John Irving Belief Copy Share Image
Death, it seems," Garp wrote, "does not like to wait until we are prepared for it. Death is indulgent and enjoys, when… — John Irving Death Copy Share Image
Writing is hard. I learned how to work hard from wrestling, not English courses. — John Irving Courses 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
I've always been a fan of the 19th century novel, of the novel that is plotted, character-driven, and where the passage of… — John Irving 19th century Copy Share Image
“In this dirty minded world, you are either someone's wife or someone's whore.” — John Irving Marriage Copy Share Image
“These same people who tell us we must defend the lives of the unborn-they are the same people who seem not so… — John Irving Freedom of choice Copy Share Image
“We’re as common as rain.” And she was right: to each other, we were as normal and nice as the smell of… — John Irving Family 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
“Amy Martin (ladysky) and Daniel Baciagalupo had a month to spend on Charlotte Turner's island in Georgian Bay; it was their wilderness… — John Irving Left hand 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
“don't worry - so what if there is no life after death? There is life after Garp, believe me.” — John Irving Death Copy Share Image
Owen meany who rarely wasted words and who had the conversation-stopping habit of dropping remarks like coins into a deep pool of… — John Irving Bottom Copy Share Image
And Father said, “There are no happy endings.” “Right!” cried Iowa Bob – an odd mixture of exuberance and stoicism in his… — John Irving Belief 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
“Any contractor who would construct a flat-roofed, two-storey building in Northern New Hampshire was enough of a moron to not know how… — John Irving Copy Share Image
