The Water-Method Man Mass Market Paperback – June 13, 1990

A conversation with a friend got me inclined to read the Irving novels I hadn’t as of yet. Decided to start with the earlier ones I’d missed before Garp. So glad I did. As with everything I’ve ever read of his I loved it. There is just something about how he combines the ridiculousness of life with it’s hard realities in a way that’s comedic & tragic at the same time that makes his novels so enjoyable. I could read him forever.

I actually prefer to rate this 2 1/2 stars, but that's not possible on Amazon so I rounded up. The characters in this book are vivid, unique, and at times fascinating. That's no surprise, for that is Irving's forte. I've gotten used to reading his books and waiting for the real story to unfold. Here it never did. Perhaps I'm dense, but the book comes off as a tale about several things, none of which have any true resolution. A character study perhaps? I lack the literary gravitas to make that call. But unlike the other Irving books I've read, I would not rate "The Water-Method Man" as a classic. I would advise anyone interested in John Irving's bibliography to leave this one until you've consumed all the heavy hitters he has put out there. Then you could read this as a completist or to get a picture of how he started out.

Such a great book. That Irving wrote this when he was only in his 20s is amazing. It's a fun, fun book, full of lightness, along with some darkness (it can't be Irving without some darkness) but it's different from his later works, in that there is much more laughter. It's a fun journey. Read it. Laugh a lot. Be happy. I love this book. Fast shipping, book is new.

Just didn't care for the writing. Stopped reading after 1st chapter. I usually plow through a book to the.end,..but too many good ones out there to.waste my time on some.that.I can't get interested in

I didn't know what the water method was until i read the book .The main character is written in first person, sometimes i think he is on Acid and other times i think maybe has Schizophrenia.

I should have tried a preview. I love John Irving as much as anyone normally but I couldn't get past the first page of this one. Not nearly as good as any of his other work, skip it

I bought this based on my enjoyment of Irving’s other books. I kept reading, hoping I would begin to enjoy it, but finally abandoned it.

Shame that I didn't have it until now. But you know - no one is perfect (just read Irving and see). I'm a big fan of his and have translated Owen Meany into Latvian. Owen is definitely his best character though I love them all, incl. bears. Well, to be honest from the very first sentence I read of Irving it's himself who's really the best character - it's the magnificently charming though not imposing presence of the author that I admire in his works. I'd say that Until I Find You is Irving's best piece until now though I admit that I'm deeply subjective in this evaluation. Anyways, The Water-Method Man is Irving at his best. Highly enjoyable. Pure delight.

I love John Irving and I have read most of his books, most of which are master pieces in my opinion. There are a few of the older ones which I have not read, and I thought I would give the Water-Method Man a try. Having read half of the book, I have had to give up. I dislike the main character and very few of the other characters have any redeeming features either. It's meant to be funny, but I cannot see it. I don't often stop reading mid-way, but on this occasion I have.

Fred 'Bogus' Trumper suffers an embarrassing complaint that he is encouraged to try to solve without the intervention of surgery, but hat is not his only problem. With one failed marriage behind him he is now in another relationship, he has a young son by his former wife and his new girl wants a family too. But as with all things in Bogus' life he finds it difficult to make a decisions and commitments.The Water-Method Man is no doubt the funniest of John Irving's novels that I have read, but it is much more than that (just as well for I do not generally read books for the humour - I have a problem seeing the humour when I read to myself - but I know that if I heard it read aloud I would find it very funny indeed!). The relativelysmall cast of characters is easy to warm to despite their individual failings, and one is soon hoping that they will be able to sort out all their problems.

An early but near-perfect novel by John Irving. Heartbreakingly sad, surreal, hysterically funny (do NOT read it in public places), it shows most of Irving's later staples (the war of the sexes, bears, STI's, hotels, prostitutes, Austria, eccentrics, movies, morals, New England, responsibility, violence etc) in a sort of concentrated bubble of compelling weirdness.

John Irvin is truly amazing. How does he do it - so many books and always such vivid and remarkable characters so you can't put the book down. Don't do what I do and read in the loo. You'll be there all day!

I chose this book as I have read several other John Irving books and thoroughly enjoyed them but this one was not for me.