The World According to Garp

by John Irving · 1978

The World According to Garp is a comic and compassionate coming‑of‑age novel that established John Irving as a major imaginative writer. First published in 1978, the story follows T. S. Garp, the bastard son of feminist nurse Jenny Fields, and weaves together humor, tragedy, and social commentary. The novel won the 1980 National Book Award and has sold millions of copies worldwide, translated into more than thirty languages. Its blend of family saga, feminist themes, sexual exploration, and dark comedy makes it a landmark of contemporary literary fiction.