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Mar 2, 1942 — —· 84 yrs

UNITED STATES AUTHOR · FICTION · NOVELISTS

John Irving

Also known as: Irving, John, Irving John

29
BOOKS
4.0
AVG RATING (81)
4
READERS

John Irving was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, in 1942. His first novel, Setting Free the Bears, was published in 1968, when he was twenty-six. He competed as a wrestler for twenty years, and coached wrestling until he was forty-seven. Mr. Irving has been nominated for a National Book Award three times—winning once, in 1980, for his novel The World According to Garp. He received an O. Henry Award in 1981 for his short story “Interior Space.” In 2000, Mr. Irving won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules. In 2013, he won a Lambda Literary Award for his novel In One Person. An international writer—his novels have been translated into more than thirty-five languages—John Irving lives in Toronto. His all-time best-selling novel, in every language, is A Prayer for Owen Meany.

Exeter, United States
Wikipedia

The summer my father bought the bear, none of us was born-we weren't even conceived: not Frank, the oldest; not Franny, the loudest; not me, the next; and not the youngest of us, Lilly and Egg.

— from The Hotel New Hampshire, 1984

Most acclaimed

#1

The Hotel New Hampshire

1984

4.2 (14)

The Hotel New Hampshire follows the Berry family across two continents and through three hotels. Family members attract friends who substitute lust, violence, laughter and tears for the standard bourgeois components.

#2

World According to Garp

1981

3.0 (1)

The son of a famous radical feminist spends his life struggling with his diverse personal relationships and with his ambition to be a writer.

#3

The Cider House Rules

4.3 (21)

In the quiet, rural landscape of Maine, the St. Cloud's orphanage stands as a refuge for the unwanted. It is run by the eccentric and compassionate Dr. Wilbur Larch, a man who is both a saint and a sinner in the eyes of the world. He serves as an obstetrician, delivering babies for women in need, while also providing illegal abortions, a service he believes is his moral duty. Among the orphans is Homer Wells, Dr. Larch’s devoted protégé. Trained in medicine by Larch, Homer is destined to take over the orphanage. However, Homer is fundamentally opposed to performing abortions, creating a deep conflict between his beliefs and his loyalty to his mentor. Seeking to forge his own path, Homer leaves St. Cloud's to work an apple orchard for the wealthy Worthington family. There, he builds a new life and falls in love, but he cannot escape the pull of his past or the complex questions of right and wrong that Dr. Larch instilled in him. This epic tale explores the intricate nature of found family, the unpredictability of love, and the profound choices that define who we are meant to be.

Books

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