TheChocolateMelted t1_jdvar6g wrote on March 27, 2023 at 1:43 PM

Tartt utterly impressed me with The Secret History. However, she left me more disappointed than possibly ever before with The Little Friend. The two books are extremely different in tone, topic, themes, language, character (and quality) in a way that Irving hasn't demonstrated in what I've read of him. The disappointment from The Little Friend has largely kept me from The Goldfinch thus far, but I haven't written it off completely.

I've found that Irving has too little variety in the themes or possibly the emotions his novels draw up. I'll happily defend Until I Find You, but none of his other novels have really blown me away (with the exception of a particular episode and the follow up in The World According to Garp). Oddly, I found that Garp lacked an overall focus and headed in the direction of being 'sprawling and meandering' to some extent, although I'd stop short of describing it as 'messy'. It didn't feel like Irving was building up to a specific conclusion throughout the story, while I've definitely seen that, to at least some extent, in his others.

Would definitely turn to Irving for coming-of-age novels though. For better or worse, he seems to be very much in his element there.

Irving's latest is The Last Chairlift. Haven't read it, but geez, is there a less intriguing title possible?

Oddly, one book I associate with the work of Tartt (The Secret History and the academic world it creates) and Irving (probably more for The Cider House Rules than any other) is Stoner by John Williams. It had a drastic critical reevaluation a few decades after it was published. Might be one for you?

lydiardbell t1_jdvekwe wrote on March 27, 2023 at 2:12 PM

Most people who love both The Secret History and The Goldfinch agree with you about Little Friend, for what it's worth. I can see why people call Goldfinch meandering, but if you don't mind slow pacing or characters doing things you wouldn't (and don't have a problem with the idea of digressions about art and antiques similar to TSH's digressions about the classics) I don't think you'll have too much to worry about.

shnoogle111 OP t1_jdvb3sx wrote on March 27, 2023 at 1:46 PM

Ohhh Stoner! I actually read that. Loved it.

As for Irving I do agree with your assessment. It can feel like reading the same book over and over with the same motifs. I think that all writing in fiction is in someway and in varying levels inherently autobiographical, however, I think he may lean into his experience is too much if that makes sense?

All that said, I found Owen Meany to be one of my favorite pieces of fiction, but after reading that I felt overwhelmed by the rest. I imagine it may be a similar experience, regardless, of which work of his you start with. Like you said, he has a very distinct style that he rarely deviates from.