THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP

Revisiting this literary classic is both bittersweet and heartwarming. The new introduction to this 40th anniversary edition, written and read by the author, brings a fresh perspective to the groundbreaking novel. This feminist story of colorful characters is a still a Dickensian depiction of sexual repression, prejudice, and bias. Narrator MacLeod Andrews delivers a mellifluous tone and empathetic representations of Jenny Fields, the enigmatic mother and feminist firebrand; T.S. Garp, her almost immaculately conceived son; and Helen, the daughter of the high school wrestling coach who is Garp's pragmatic and inscrutable wife. Hearing the decades-old voices instills the listener with a sense of nostalgia about the innocence of the times and the hope for a more inclusive future, epitomized by Garp's journey. R.O. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2019]