Any John Irving Fans Out There?

[sirhugs]

I am/was a huge fan. Garp is my all time favourite novel. I have lost track of how many times I have read it, and every time it is better.
I now have a copy of irving's newest, Queen Esther.
I am looking at it with trepidation.
I found Avenue of Mysteries seriously lacking.
The Last Chairlift was forever coming, and my expectations were low. It exceeded those exprectations, but when I read that it was Irving's last major work, I felt a sense of relief.
Am I wrong to think even our greatest writers ought to retire before they pass their "best before date"?
How will i feel after I read Queen Esther?

 

[MelissaBaby]

I haven't read any of his later stuff, but I thought Gary was brilliant.

Irving's ability to sprinkle seemingly minor details through the narrative, then combine them all to reveal their significance, was a big influence on my writing.

I won't post spoilers, but you will know what I'm talking about if I just mention the loose knob on the car's shifter.

 

[SimonDoom]

I read Garp in high school, and I enjoyed it a lot. It combined a sense of humanity with a sense of twisted, dark humor that I liked. It's the only novel of his I've read, however.

The problem with wanting our favorite authors to "quit at their peak" is that they don't know when that is. I imagine every author thinks their next book is going to be their best one.