Searching for Momentum (Until I Find You)

At 928 pages, John Irving's Until I Find You has to be one of the longest novels I've ever read; the only longer that springs to mind being Gone With the Wind. But the length, by no means, excuses my absolute procrastination and sheer laziness in posting this blog. I am embarrassed by my literary disgrace. No really, I am... Aw come on, give me a break, it's Christmas.

Holiday greetings aside, I decided to read Irving's latest novel after seeing the review by the Glasgow Herald describing it as Irving's 'magnum opus.' Having previously read The World According to Garp (see archived blog) and finding it a fairly 'great work,' I was curious to see if Until I Find You was really better.

Like Garp, Irving's new book is a fictional biography. Chronicling the unconventional life of actor Jack Burns, the driving force behind the story is the absence of Jack's father, William, and the prospect that he might one day meet him.

At the outset of the novel, the similarities between the two works are striking: a strong, domineering mother; the lack of a father figure; growing up in a private school environment. An even stronger parallel is Irving's technique of changing the protagonist early in the novel. In Garp, the initial part of the book follows Garp's mother Jenny Fields, before switching its attention to Garp himself. The same happens in Until I Find You, which commences with a strong focus on Jack Burns' mother, Alice, before centring on Jack.

The first transition of the novel follows Alice, a tattooist, and four-year-old Jack through the Scandinavian countries in pursuit of William, an organist and connoisseur of antique instruments. The myriad of bizarre (almost absurd) characters that the pair meet along the way is a trademark of Irving's rich and flawless characterisation. Accurately researched and obsessively detailed, this initial segment sets a high standard for the rest of the book.

Unfortunately, the story quickly loses momentum, and I felt my reading habits being directly affected by this pacing. I went through a series of emotions and phases with this book, ranging from enjoyment to frustration to contentment to disappointment. But ultimately, the overall piece is so character-driven, it was impossible for me to form any sort of attachment with the story.

Nevertheless, Irving's latest novel has its moments, and I felt myself wondering if it could have been another 'great work.' Perhaps if it was shorter and more structured. Perhaps if Irving depended less on characterisation and more on story. Perhaps if symbolism had been used as a literary device instead of just an excuse to use symbolism. Perhaps if the protagonist had been called Garp...