John Irving's 'The World According to Garp' follows the quirky and tumultuous life of T. S. Garp, the bastard son of Jenny Fields, a strong-willed feminist nurse who forgoes traditional marriage to raise her son on her own terms. Garp's world is a strange blend of deliberate comedy and unforeseen tragedy as he grows up, becomes a writer, and navigates fatherhood, all while confronting sexual politics, fanaticism, and the unpredictable folds of fate. His mother's feminist ideals and his own experiences paint a vivid canvas of the societal challenges and personal encounters that shape a lifetime, making it a poignant exploration of identity, love, and the human condition. The narrative provides both laughter and grave insights, comically highlighting life's absurdities and underlining the ultimate truth that we are all, inescapably, 'terminal cases.'