  the water method man (1972) is the second published novel by american novelist john irving. a little-known fact about this novel is that irving, for a time, considered making the "old low norse" poem, "akthelt and gunnel", into his actual second novel. it was going to be called, love among the greths. but after reading about walker percy's novel, love in the ruins, irving abandoned the whimsical idea and wrote the now-published novel. ==plot summary== the novel revolves around the mishaps of its narrator, fred trumper, a floundering late-twenty-something graduate student with serious commitment and honesty issues that earn him the nickname "bogus." the novel shows irving beginning to develop a blend of comedy and pathos, as well as a penchant for fashioning quirky characters. it follows a non-linear narrative in the form of a sort of 'confession' authored by trumper, who humorously recounts his various failures in life and love, from his new england childhood through his experiences on foreign study in vienna, austria, and as a graduate student in iowa, leading up to the present-action setting, early-1970s new york, where trumper is attempting to sever himself from his adolescent past. "i want to change", trumper says at the end of chapter one. the phrase seems to be the novel's central theme. the title refers to a method prescribed to trumper for the treatment of non-specific urological disorders relating to his abnormally narrow urinary tract. trumper's urologist, dr. jean claude vigneron, offers him three options for the treatment of his disorder: abstinence from sex and alcohol, a painful operation to widen the urinary canal, or the water method, which consists simply of consuming abnormal quantities of water before and after sex to flush bacteria out of the urinary tract. trumper opts for the water method, suggesting both his generally comical cowardice and lack of self-discipline. trumper's narration meanders through flashbacks revolving around his relationships with the novel's two primary female characters: sue "biggie"' kunft, a former championship downhill skier whom trumper courts, impregnates, and marries in vienna while still a student, 
1972_novels Novels_by_John_Irving Random_House_books