Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
John Irving had the ending of The World According to Garp written way before he knew how it began. Irving claims to write his novels backward—so, in this instance, he knew the nature of Jenny and Garp's deaths before he knew where they came from. Crazy, right? (Source)
When you line up Irving and Garp's careers, you start to notice some pretty interesting similarities. Both men write first novels about bears in Vienna, followed by some about wife-swapping, and then finally, controversial bestsellers. For Irving, that book was The World According to Garp. Freaky. (Source)
Irving has a brief cameo in the film adaptation of The World According to Garp as a referee of one of Garp's wrestling matches. You can really see Irving's real-life passion for wrestling in his high-energy performance. We've got a future Oscar winner on our hands! (Source)
Although Irving is a mega-successful author, he's had to overcome some serious obstacles to get there—notably, his dyslexia. Although he wasn't diagnosed until he was an adult, Irving attributes his grit and determination to his struggles with the disability. (Source)