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About the Book

About the Book

The Imaginary Girlfriend

"The Imaginary Girlfriend is a miniature autobiography detailing Irving’s parallel careers of writing and wrestling. . . . Tales of encounters with writers (John Cheever, Nelson Algren, Kurt Vonnegut) are intertwined with those about his wrestling teammates and coaches. With humor and compassion, [Irving] details the few truly important lessons he learned about writing. . . . And in beefing up his narrative with anecdotes that are every bit as hilarious as the antics in his novels, Irving combines the lessons of both obsessions (wrestling and writing) . . . into a somber reflection on the importance of living well."

The Denver Post

The Imaginary Girlfriend
by John Irving

  • Publication Date: December 3, 2002
  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books
  • ISBN-10: 0345458265
  • ISBN-13: 9780345458261