A favorite author - can't wait to read
Avenue of Mysteries; John Irving
Simon & Schuster - Nov. 2015
Description
John Irving returns to the themes that established him as one of our most admired and beloved authors in this absorbing novel of fate and memory.
In Avenue of Mysteries, Juan Diego—a fourteen-year-old boy, who was born and grew up in Mexico—has a thirteen-year-old sister. Her name is Lupe, and she thinks she sees what's coming—specifically, her own future and her brother's. Lupe is a mind reader; she doesn't know what everyone is thinking, but she knows what most people are thinking. Regarding what has happened, as opposed to what will, Lupe is usually right about the past; without your telling her, she knows all the worst things that have happened to you.
Lupe doesn't know the future as accurately. But consider what a terrible burden it is, if you believe you know the future—especially your own future, or, even worse, the future of someone you love. What might a thirteen-year-old girl be driven to do, if she thought she could change the future?
As an older man, Juan Diego will take a trip to the Philippines, but what travels with him are his dreams and memories; he is most alive in his childhood and early adolescence in Mexico. As we grow older—most of all, in what we remember and what we dream—we live in the past. Sometimes, we live more vividly in the past than in the present.
Avenue of Mysteries is the story of what happens to Juan Diego in the Philippines, where what happened to him in the past—in Mexico—collides with his future.
In Avenue of Mysteries, Juan Diego—a fourteen-year-old boy, who was born and grew up in Mexico—has a thirteen-year-old sister. Her name is Lupe, and she thinks she sees what's coming—specifically, her own future and her brother's. Lupe is a mind reader; she doesn't know what everyone is thinking, but she knows what most people are thinking. Regarding what has happened, as opposed to what will, Lupe is usually right about the past; without your telling her, she knows all the worst things that have happened to you.
Lupe doesn't know the future as accurately. But consider what a terrible burden it is, if you believe you know the future—especially your own future, or, even worse, the future of someone you love. What might a thirteen-year-old girl be driven to do, if she thought she could change the future?
As an older man, Juan Diego will take a trip to the Philippines, but what travels with him are his dreams and memories; he is most alive in his childhood and early adolescence in Mexico. As we grow older—most of all, in what we remember and what we dream—we live in the past. Sometimes, we live more vividly in the past than in the present.
Avenue of Mysteries is the story of what happens to Juan Diego in the Philippines, where what happened to him in the past—in Mexico—collides with his future.
I LOVE John Irving - he's one of my auto-buy authors, so I am planning to try this book, but I've gotta say, I'm just not that excited about it based on the premise. Something just isn't grabbing me...
ReplyDeleteThe premise does seem a bit different for Irving, but I'm going in cautiously optimistic.
DeleteI had heard really good things about this book. Your commentary makes me even more interested.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of someone who has real psychic abilities but who sometimes still gets it wrong. That seems to add a lot of nuance.
You made a good point, Brian. It's not typical Irving from the sound of it.
DeleteA new John Irving novel is always exciting news!
ReplyDeleteI agree, he is definitely a favorite author.
DeleteThat sounds pretty good to me!
ReplyDeleteYes, good and different from the description.
DeleteI have only read The World According to Garp ( many moons ago) . I don't know why I did not continue to read Irving. I need to correct that!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read ALL of his books Judy, but most of them.
DeleteI heard an excellent interview with John Irving about this book this morning on NPR. Sounds like another winner!
ReplyDelete