I had not heard of this book, before my friend loaned it to me, so I was not sure if the author or the book had a reputation preceeding it. I later discovered that the book has been published in more than thirty languages, in more than forty countries-exceding ten million copies in print. It was also made into a film starring Robin Williams and Mary Beth Hurt in 1982.

The characters in the book are built up very well and though they all appear whacky, eccentric and at times unbelievable, they all seem to fit the book very well.

There is Jenny Fields (Garp's mother), who decides that she wants a child but does not want to have the usually physical bindings associated with a man, for having one. Moreover, she just cannot understand the trappings of lust (something Garp is definitely not afflicted by), and cannot understand the necessity of having any sort of physical relationship with a man.

She names her autobiography 'A Sexual Suspect' which becomes hugely successful, and brands her a feminist - a reputation she then has to live up to for the rest of her life.

Then, there is Jillsy Sloper, who is a maid at Jon Wolff's Office (Garp's publisher) and unknowingly also doubles up as a book reviewer, mainly because she hates reading books of any kind.

There are the Ellen Jamesian, who in an attempt to empathize with Ellen James (an 11-year old girl, who's rapist cut her tongue after raping her, presuming that she would be unable to describe him) have their tongues surgically removed and go through the rest of their lives communicating by writing on small slips of paper which they carry with them. According to Garp, "They were probably all lousy at talking, anyway; they probably never had a worthwhile thing to say in their lives - so their tongues were no great sacrifice; in fact, it probably saves them considerable embarrassment. If you see what I mean."

Roberta Muldoon - a six-foot four-transsexual (originally Robert Muldoon, a standout tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles, before he got a sex change operation). After the operation, she is forever caught between what she is supposed to feel (as a woman) and what she does feel (originally born as a man). Not surprisingly, she becomes on of Garp's best friends.

The Percy family, with Cushion, Pooh, etc. headed by Fat Stew who persists in roaming about the house absolutely nude, and who's dog Bonkers bites off a part of Garp's ear - and gets his bitten off in return.

Walt (Garp's second sun) - who discovers the Under Toad. Etc. etc.

The book covers T.S. Garp's life right from conception (in which his father played a barely conscious role), his escapades during his schooling (much of which was decided by his mother, as is a lot of other aspects of his life), his attempts and finally his success at being a writer, his marriage and numerous sexual escapades, his housewifeish married role, his interactions with his neighbours and his mother's eccentric companions, to his inevitable death (for, according to Garp, we are all terminal cases).

The books starts off on an extremely whacky tone, but tends to evolve as Garp grows older. In the middle, it flags a bit (which coincides with the time that Garp himself has very little to do), but picks up soon enough. Apart from the character, and the situations, what make the book very absorbing, are the stories which Garp writes - something that brings out John Irving's versatility as a writer. In spite of the black undertones across the book, it is interesting, how John Irving has managed to make the characters humane, at times philosophical, and at times even believable - each of us would recognize a bit of ourselves and people we know in the characters.

The book is definitely worth reading though I would not recommend that you finish it in one go.