The Last Chairlift
By John Irving
Simon & Schuster
Back in the day, when John Irving would come out with a book every couple years, I’d be like those people who used to wait overnight for concert tickets. I couldn’t get enough! As time has passed, his writing’s gotten more and more tedious, and the same old tropes keep getting reused. Enough so that after 100 or so pages of this one, I had to give up. Where was his editor? Why didn’t someone sit John down and let him know that he couldn’t coast on his reputation when the newest generation of readers has no idea who he even is? It’s sad, I know, when the great ones lose their magic touch.