The 158-Pound Marriage (1974)

Having read quite a lot of books by John Irving, sometimes I get a bit fed up by bears, wrestlers, rape (why would you throw in such a sensitive topic again and again?), etc. Nevertheless, this book is one of his firsts, so it's only my fault if it is the last one I've read.

I would rate this one as a minor work as compared to Son of the Circus os Prayer for Owen Meany. The parts that occur in the past (during and immediately after ww2) have a vaguely mithological air that only makes them feel fake. However, the parts that happen when the characters are adults, namely the ménage-à-quatre are very well told from the point of view of one of the characters. I particularly enjoyed the tendion between the narrator and Severin and how it unfolds. ( )

Adults with too much time on their hands. Really, does anyone behave like this?

המהפיכה המינית וחילופי זוגות באקדמיה​ ( )

By no means Irving's best. Four fairly unlikeable characters in a story that is cruel and lacking in emotion. ( )

"Can an Unhappy Man Tolerate a Happy Woman?"

Take two people that are married. Make them as opposite to one another as you can. now invent another couple and do the same but reverse the genders. Now, involve these couples into a marriage swap where the ‘likes’ are linked together. There you have the 158-Pound Marriage.

Do opposites attract? Apparently they do…and they make better marriage partners than ones that have similar interests. Of course, they may not see eye to eye on anything, but isn’t that what makes marriage interesting?

This novel is another example of John Irving’s showcase of characterization. The narrator never seems to be named but the main character in the book is named Severin Winter (the book says it is pronounced SAY-VER-INbut I contend it is pronounced as it is written). He could be a portrait of the author himself. Short and ‘bear-like’, he is a wrestling coach first and a teacher of German language second. He comes from Vienna and has a lot to say about a lot, every though the narrator has him as brooding and moody most of the time.

The title of the book refers to how Severin classifies novels into weight classes. The better the book, the higher the weight class. There is also a reference to a classification difference of 1 pound that kept Severin from becoming not only a good wrestler but a great one. You’re correct, it was 158. And yet another reference to a current wrestler competing for greatness in the weight class of…you guessed it 158.

So what does this have to do with the intersection of these marriages? My guess is that the marriage ‘becomes’ a different category when the couples decide to exchange partners on a regular basis. Maybe also because of the weight classification of novels, Severin also considers his own marriage to be in a higher category.

It is difficult to tell the summary without making the book sound too risque. Well, it IS at times. But those Irving fans know this is only a lure. The real sadness is waiting for you at the end of the book. I thought it was sad, at least. You may think it’s tripe. ( )