Setting Free the Bears: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

I've loved a couple other Irving books despite his being-long-winded and pompous about his education. Expected to love this farcical first novel of his, perhaps before he took himself too seriously. It had a great plot line and hysterical moments, but there was so much time spent on a character's familial history in WW, and setting the stage for the hysterical moments that it became a chore. I took to paging right past the WW2 history (which I might have been interested to learn more about had it seemed more relevant) and think I was better off for having done so. I got through the book that I could get started on a more interesting book, return to my pattern of alternating fiction and non-fiction without a writer giving me too much non-fiction as background when I'm hoping to be entertained with fiction.

This is a fairly long book, the middle section of which reads like a history text - not my favorite form of writing, but I think that I will always be happy reading an Irving book. I have friends that give up on his books. I think that they loose patience with him. I find his work to be tremendously enjoyable. So many authors use sloppy language. Sentences where you understand what is intended, but not what has actually written. Maybe that is the fault of the editing but surely the responsibility falls first directly upon the author. When you encounter a sentence in an Irving test that you find confusing, you have likely read it incorrectly. This author does not write sloppy sentences. His mastery of written English language is a delight.

I liken my response to this John Irving Novel--his first--to undergoing a delicious seduction, only to be suddenly repulsed by a seal-like belch. All I love about JI is in abundance here, but the story's climatic arc is so off-putting, wrong-headed, and uncharacteristically charmless, that it really downgraded my enjoyment of an otherwise beautifully constructed tale. That said, sometimes understanding a character's motivation escapes me--and maybe I am missing something here. In any case, If I am not mistaken I have only two more John Irving novels to read--158 Pound Marriage and Trying to Save Piggy Sneed, and it has been a wonderful journey indeed.

One of my favorite books for giving to high school graduates, particularly boys.However, the production quality of Ballentine's paperback edition is disgraceful. The paper is so low-grade that the letters bleed on the page, and the formatting is equally bad. The lines of type often slant, and the type crowds the margins on every page. If Ballentine wanted everyone to migrate to an e-reader, they couldn't have found a more persuasive way of doing so. An abysmal reading experience for an entertaining novel. Oh yes -- and I have NO idea why Irving or his editors or his publishers decided to include his postscript about the failure of a movie studio to convert the book (with a screenplay written by Irving) into a film. Sorry, but the last image of the reading experience should be Rare Spectacled Bears, not escargots.

Not my favorite John Irving book, but definitely interesting if you like the off-beat. His character development is as always amazing. The fantasy is a bit bizarre. But it's Irving.

If you haven't read John Irving, I wouldn't reccomend that you start here. There is much of interest here and he is a fine writer, but the story didn't compel my interest or seem to have a clear purpose. Many of his other works are far superior.

I read many of Irving's books before this one. I did like it a lot, although sometimes it sounds a bit to "didactic" on the story of WWII. It would have gotten more stars if hadn't read "The World Acoording to Garp" and "In one Person: A novel" among others before this one.

John Irving's first book. One thrill after another.

Great book, great seller. Book as described. I would be happy to purchase again from this seller.

an excellent book for Irving fans.

I have received the book a while ago now and I'm about haft way through it. An other good read from John Irving which was is first book.Always been a good experience for me dealing with ThriftBooks.

Wer skurrile Literatur liebt, der liegt hier richtig.

One of the best writers in the world. Just two more books to go :0) ... But then what ?