The Imaginary Girlfriend

By: John Irving

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Paperback | 1 August 1997 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
160 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
19.9 x 12.7 x 1.3

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A great author's autobiography.

From a novelist known for the complexity of his novels - they are also long - comes an autobiography of compelling simplicity; it is also short. Dedicated to the memory of two wrestling coaches and two writer friends, The Imaginary Girlfriend is a lucid portrait of the writers and wrestlers who played a mentor role in John Irving's development as a novelist, a wrestler and a wrestling coach. Moreover, this candid memoir portrays a father's dedication to his children- Irving coached his sons Colin and Brendan to New England championship titles - a championship that, as a competitor, he himself was denied.

John Irving began writing and wrestling when he was fourteen. He competed as a wrestler for twenty years, he was certified as a referee for twenty-four and he coached the sport until he was forty-seven. His thirty-three years in wrestling are three times those he spent as a student and a teacher of Creative Writing; yet his concise autobiography details the interrelationship of the disciplines of writing and wrestling - from the days when Irving was a beginner at both pursuits until his fourth wrestling-related surgery at the age of fifty-three.

The Imaginary Girlfriend is both a work of the utmost literary accomplishment and a paradigm for living.

Industry Reviews

"Interesting and surprising revelations" -- Michael Moran * Literary Review * "His "inexpressible personal opinions" as a critic are wonderful, slaying many a sacred cow" -- Tobias Jones * Spectator * "The patent sincerity of his passion gives an appealing authenticity to this memoir... compelling and alive" -- Andrew Rosenheim * The Times Literary Supplement * "Irving can transform sex and violence mythology with the best of 'em" -- Adrianne Blue * Independent on Sunday * "Concise, original and enjoyable" * The Times *

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