Something of a modern classic, this is the story of T. S. Garp, who is raised by his eccentric feminist mother and spends most of his life surrounded and preoccupied by woman. Irving depicts Garp's pursuit of a writing career against the backdrop of the odd assortment of characters in his life--wrestlers, radical feminists, transsexuals, and rape protesters. Part fictional biography, part examination of the writing life, and part meditation on modern American society gone amok.