Here is a treat for devoted fans of John Irving. First published twenty years ago, Trying to Save Piggy Sneed contains a dozen short works by the author, beginning with three memoirs. The longest of the memoirs is The Imaginary Girlfriend, his candid account of his twin careers in writing and wrestling, which, as the Denver Post observed, is filled with anecdotes that are every bit as hilarious as the antics in his novels . . . and combines the lessons of both obsessions. The middle portion of the book is fiction. Over a career that spans thirteen novels, these are the six stories that Mr. Irving considers finished. Among them is Interior Space, for which he won the O. Henry Award. In the third and final section are three homages one to Günter Grass and two to Charles Dickens.
