The 158-Pound Marriage

This is the second book I've read by Irving, and I have to admit he's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The book is about two married couples who meet well after they've each established a family and mode of life. Though neither couple seemingly would have considered such a thing before, they begin to swap partners without secrecy. It becomes a normal occurrence for them, and they even go so far as to vacation together. One of the characters is a wrestling aficionado (not an uncommon occurrence in Irving's writing) and thus you get the title and all sorts of easily accessible wrestling lingo. In fact, he dedicates a chapter to each character in the beginning of the book, establishing background, and he literally divides them by weight class. Of course, such things as spouse swapping are bound to fall apart, and the reader experiences the full implosion as both couples must deal with their "break-up" and the new dynamic it introduces both into their own marriages and with each other as "friends." Though the story was a bit more sexually graphic than I'm accustomed to reading, Irving's style captivates me. He is truly a master at craft, plot, and characterization. And best of all, his stories burrow into your being and you can't help but become enthralled with his character's lives. I look forward to reading more of Irving's work. ~Scott William Foley, author of Souls Triumphant

158-PUND MARRIAGE is one of Irving's better novels. The plot is based around two couples who swap partners and accidentily fall in love with each other's spouses in the process. Through odd circumstances, all four couples are interconnected. The couples end up pairing off not only man to woman, but the two also have stronger connections with the other man/woman's spouse. From the proposition to the slow decay of the two couple's relationships to each other and their own spouses, Irving finds yet another way to write the not-so-average novel.

"The 158 Pound Marriage" is another example of John Irving at his best. He masterfully explores the consequences of infidelity in a modern marriage through a story of two couples, each in love with another's spouse. Though the wrestling imagery can get tiresome after a while, it's a fitting theme for a book whose characters are wrestling with the choices they have made in their marriages. The characters are all well developed, and the non-linear plot flows with ease. The one warning I would give is not to pick up this book looking for another "Garp." There is, was, and will always be only one "Garp." Let "The 158 Pound Marriage" stand on its own merits and you will not be disappointed.

John Irving is a mastermind for rich characters. From the get go, he engages the reader with the less than pleasing imagery of a young Austrian girl, Utchka, who experiences the torture and and murder of her family by Russians from inside the belly of a gutted-out cow. It kept me reading! By intertwining the disturbing pasts of two married couples as they embark on a menage a quatre, Irving leads you through the mindful manipualtions and selfishness that inevitably follow the couples in their quest for open sexuality...or is it? Extremely saucy, all characters are completely unique and interesting. Irving's use of the wrestling metaphors through the eyes of Severin Winter,the washed up wrestling coach, are completely obtainable to those,like myself, who are totally negligent of wrestling terms. And of course, like any long standing novel should, Irving leaves plenty of questions unanswered about marriage, fidelity, and the value of trust. This was my first introduction to Irving, mostly because "Garp" and "Owen Meany" were checked out at the Library. The 158-Pound Marriage truly lives up to his more well-known novels!

This book is full of dark, dirty little secrets. It's a wacky & crazy look into relationships. It brought out some emotions and was a quick and interesting read. If you are a first time reader of Irving however, PLEASE - read his all time best, first: Cider House Rules, A Prayer for Owen Meaning & Garp, then come back to this one (It's worth it)