I'm kinda bummed about this new book from John Irving 
. I mean, who doesn't want to see more of Esther's story? But honestly, the way he tells it feels like a bunch of unrelated threads that never quite come together 
. The writing style is still super long and meandering, which I get, but sometimes less is more, you know? 
 And don't even get me started on how he handles those heavy themes about Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict... it just feels like he's dodging the issue altogether 
. Overall, I think fans of his older stuff are gonna be really disappointed 
. If you're a new fan, I'd say give 'The Cider House Rules' a read instead – that one's still a masterpiece 
.