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Imaginary Girlfriend
John Irving Book Review

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Plot Summary of Imaginary Girlfriend
"In this memoir, bestselling author John Irving intersperses stories of his wrestling career (he both wrestled as a student and coached wrestling) with stories about teaching and writing.

An undiagnosed dyslexic, Irving struggled through his private high school. In the Imaginary Girlfriend, he talks about why wrestling was satisfying for him and how it prepared him for later life. One thing he talks about is how little talent actually had to do with his success as a wrestler - so much more revolved around how hard he worked. This book also describes in detail people who were influential to him, including both fellow wrestlers, coaches, teachers, and fellow writers.

Mostly this book is funny. "

Ann Gaines, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Imaginary Girlfriend
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
job/profession: - writer
Job/profession/poverty story Yes
Sports story? - wrestling
Sports story Yes
Period of greatest activity? - 1950+

Subject of Biography
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - writer
Age: - 20's-30's
Biography of famous person? Yes
Ethnicity - White
Nationality - American (!)
How sensitive is this person? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other people
Physique - very athletic

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 (an average amount)
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast
Small town? Yes
Century: - 1960's-1970's

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
Book makes you feel? - encouraged
Is book humorous? Yes
If humorous, kind of humor - eccentric personalities - Dry-cynical
Story of entire life, or part? - story of set of events during life
Autobiography? Yes
Pictures/Illustrations? - More 6-10 B&W
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 0-25% of book
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The Way We Lived Then: Recollections of a Well Known Name Dropper by Dominick Dunne
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John Irving Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Ann Gaines  

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