peter_fischer's review against another edition
3.0
I was recently on my biannual pilgrimage to the UK; as usual I visited my favourite bookstore in the world, Topping in Bath, Somerset, England. There I picked up a signed first edition of this book, which I thought I hadn’t read yet, although I’m a massive John Irving fan. A few paragraphs in I realised that indeed I had read it and even owned a copy (senior moment!). Well, at least I’ve replaced a crummy paperback edition with a signed first edition!
Back to the actual book. It’s the one about Juan Diego, the Mexican American, who grew up in Oaxaca as a dump kid (niño de la basura). His sister is the clairvoyant Lupe and the story is really about what happens when Juan takes a trip to the Philippines as an adult, where his childhood memories collide with the future. In some ways the book examines the philosophy of knowing -or not knowing- what one’s future holds. As usual, there is plenty of magical realism, a wonderful read when coupled with Irving’s terrific style, although this is not one of his best books.
Back to the actual book. It’s the one about Juan Diego, the Mexican American, who grew up in Oaxaca as a dump kid (niño de la basura). His sister is the clairvoyant Lupe and the story is really about what happens when Juan takes a trip to the Philippines as an adult, where his childhood memories collide with the future. In some ways the book examines the philosophy of knowing -or not knowing- what one’s future holds. As usual, there is plenty of magical realism, a wonderful read when coupled with Irving’s terrific style, although this is not one of his best books.
readhikerepeat's review against another edition
4.0
As a diehard John Irving fan, I was thrilled when his latest book showed up on my doorstep courtesy of Simon & Schuster. I’m convinced that there is nothing the man will write that I won’t love and Avenue of Mysteries was no different. Although it wasn’t my favorite book of his so far, I enjoyed it immensely and am pleased that he can remain a top contender for my favorite author.
Avenue of Mysteries is the story of Juan Diego, a boy who grew up in a dump with a mind-reading sister who seemed to know more about Juan Diego’s future than he did. The story starts out with Juan Diego’s trip, as an adult, to Manila, and as the story unfolds we find out why he’s going, what life events got him to where he is, and the major influence the church had on him, for better or for worse. As an adult, he struggles with his identity; the balancing of expectations of others against his own sense of self are in stark contrast to each other, adding a layer of complexity that Irving fans have come to expect (and love). In other words, it’s classic Irving.
It’s impossible to discuss Avenue of Mysteries without talking about the prevalence of religion throughout the book. This is by far the most religious of his works that I have read, and that includes A Prayer for Owen Meany. It’s not that the book is religious, but rather that religion has a profound impact on the characters and Irving holds nothing back in that regard. It is also a difficult book to review without spoiling anything, but fans of Irving will find comfort in some parallels to his previous books.
For the full review, visit The Book Wheel.
Avenue of Mysteries is the story of Juan Diego, a boy who grew up in a dump with a mind-reading sister who seemed to know more about Juan Diego’s future than he did. The story starts out with Juan Diego’s trip, as an adult, to Manila, and as the story unfolds we find out why he’s going, what life events got him to where he is, and the major influence the church had on him, for better or for worse. As an adult, he struggles with his identity; the balancing of expectations of others against his own sense of self are in stark contrast to each other, adding a layer of complexity that Irving fans have come to expect (and love). In other words, it’s classic Irving.
It’s impossible to discuss Avenue of Mysteries without talking about the prevalence of religion throughout the book. This is by far the most religious of his works that I have read, and that includes A Prayer for Owen Meany. It’s not that the book is religious, but rather that religion has a profound impact on the characters and Irving holds nothing back in that regard. It is also a difficult book to review without spoiling anything, but fans of Irving will find comfort in some parallels to his previous books.
For the full review, visit The Book Wheel.
celticraven's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
diggitalot's review against another edition
2.0
Kanske börjar jag bli för gammal för Irvings böcker. Alla ingredienserna finns där men det smakar inte som förr.
loragracegrace's review against another edition
4.0
I had a hard time caring about the modern day narrator in this story - all I really wanted was for him to fall asleep and take me back into his memories where it seemed the real story was. Though Miriam and Dorothy obviously aren't what they seem, the intense male gaze in their scenes was distracting for me. I was disappointed with how well he handled a beloved transgender character only to continuously tokenize and trivialize her by constantly referring to her as "the transvestite."
Even so, this book gets four stars from me because I found myself in the familiar state of looking up halfway through a John Irving book and finding myself hopelessly endeared to its characters. Juan Diego remembers his lost loved ones so tenderly and with the usual wry humor John Irving brings to his characters' quirks. I couldn't help but think he had modeled Juan Diego on his own writing sensibilities - the character refuses to write from his own lived experiences, preferring to write from pure imagination.
Even so, this book gets four stars from me because I found myself in the familiar state of looking up halfway through a John Irving book and finding myself hopelessly endeared to its characters. Juan Diego remembers his lost loved ones so tenderly and with the usual wry humor John Irving brings to his characters' quirks. I couldn't help but think he had modeled Juan Diego on his own writing sensibilities - the character refuses to write from his own lived experiences, preferring to write from pure imagination.
azu_rikka's review against another edition
2.0
The story was boring and led nowhere, the writer's perspective puzzled me.
kscaldwell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jammasterjamie's review against another edition
5.0
Avenue of Mysteries felt both completely fresh, and like classic John Irving all at the same time. The story was new, well told, strongly plotted and unfolded, and as always the characters are as fully fleshed out and interesting - I feel like I know Juan Diego as well as I know Garp, Dr. Daruwalla, or any of my other fictional friends, and that's a great thing because Juan Diego is a great guy. There was also a lot of familiarity that immediately identifies this as a John Irving novel - a circus, exploration of gender and sexual identity, 'miraculous' quirks of fate, and a crippled or disabled person who is more capable than most of the 'normal' people around them. There were a couple of points where the story meandered a little, but as much of this book is told through dream and memory, the meanderings make sense, and as usual with John Irving, there is neither a wasted sentence or word throughout. If you like John Irving, you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll like this novel.