Now available again, "A rich, wonderful, and diverse look at the
creative mind of one of America's most imaginative and passionate
novelists" (Denver Post).
Here is a treat for John Irving fans and new readers alike. Trying to
Save Piggy Sneed contains a dozen short works by the author, beginning
with three memoirs. The longest of the memoirs is "The Imaginary
Girlfriend," his candid account of his twin careers in writing and
wrestling, which, as the Denver Post observed, is filled "with
anecdotes that are every bit as hilarious as the antics in his novels .
. . [and] combines the lessons of both obsessions."
The middle portion of the book is fiction. Over a career that spans
fourteen novels, these are the six stories that Mr. Irving considers
finished. Among them is "Interior Space," for which he won the O. Henry
Award. In the third and final section are three homages: one to Günter
Grass and two to Charles Dickens. To each of the twelve pieces, he has
contributed author's notes, which provide some perspective on the
circumstances surrounding the writing of each piece. For readers who
prefer a hardcover, this commemorative edition is a book to treasure.
For readers new to the author of works as moving and mischievous as The
World According to Garp, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and In One
Person, Trying to Save Piggy Sneed is the perfect introduction.
The edition has a foreword by Susan Cheever that was first published in
the twentieth anniversary edition of the hardcover.
