John Irving Books

'The reason Homer Wells kept his name was that he came back to St Cloud's so many times, after so many failed foster homes, that the orphanage was forced to acknowledge Homer's intention to make St Cloud's his home.' Homer Wells' odyssey begins among the apple orchards of rural Maine. As the oldest unadopted child at St Cloud's orphanage, he strikes up a profound and unusual friendship with Wilbur Larch, the orphanage's founder - a man of rare compassion and an addiction to ether. What he learns from Wilbur takes him from his early apprenticeship in the orphanage surgery, to an adult life running a cider-making factory and a strange relationship with the wife of his closest friend...

Born a Parsi in Bombay, sent to university and medical school in Vienna, Dr Farrokh Daruwalla is a Canadian citizen - a 59-year-old orthopedic surgeon, living in Toronto. Periodically, the doctor returns to India; in Bombay, most of his patients are crippled children. Once, twenty years ago, Dr Daruwalla was the examining physician of two murder victims in Goa. Now, twenty years later, the doctor will be reacquainted with the murderer.

Focusing on Mozart's renowned string quartets, this guide highlights the composer's deep friendship with Joseph Haydn, who greatly influenced his work. It explores the musical intricacies and emotional depth of these quartets, offering insights into their historical context and significance. The book serves as both an analysis and appreciation of Mozart's contributions to chamber music, making it a valuable resource for music enthusiasts and scholars alike.

'Like all extraordinary books, The World According to Garp defies synopsis', wrote the Chicago Sun Times when Garp was first published in 1978. It is a marvellous, important, permanent novel by a serious artist of remarkable powers. Garp is a book that captivates all who read it. Peopled with the most extraordinary characters you will ever meet, here is a novel that will make you laugh, make you weep, and, above all, make you think.

John Irving's first children's book, illustrated by Tatjana Hauptmann, features text from his novel "A Widow For One Year."

Surgically, but with wit Francesco Filippi demolishes each and every myth that has taken root about Mussolini and fascism in an uplifting handbook for political and intellectual self-defense. No stones are left unturned, including the colonial devastation of Libya and Ethiopia.

This collection features the first three novels of this highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling author. Compassionate, satirical, deeply insightful and humorous, these compelling novels have gained him millions of fans. Setting Free the Bears : Siggy and Hannes were disenchanted students and fellow conspirators. Astride a 700cc royal Enfield motorcycle, they roamed the Austrian countryside. When Gallen, a lovely hitchhiker, joined them, they zeroed in on the Vienna Zoo--and Siggy's setting free the bears! The Water-Method Man : The acclaimed second novel by the author of the #1 international bestseller, A Prayer for Owen Meany. Fred "Bogus" Trumper is a wayward knight-errant in the battle of the sexes, and the pursuit of happiness. Yet, he stubbornly clings to the notion he'll make something of his life. The 158 Pound Marriage : Sometimes they looked at each other, aroused half out of their minds by the thought that each had just been making love with another, and it would be enough to make them want to do it--together--all over again. Well, almost enough.

An LGBTQ-inclusive story about understanding your peers, your feelings, and yourself, The Wishing Flower is a love letter to longing, belonging, and longing to belong. Birdie finds comfort in nature and books, but more than anything she longs for connection, to be understood. At school, Birdie feels like an outsider. Quiet and shy, she prefers to read by herself, rather than jump rope or swing with the other kids. That all changes when Sunny, the new girl, comes along. Like Birdie, Sunny has a nature name. She also likes to read, and loves to rescue bugs. And when Sunny smiles at her, Birdie’s heart balloons like a parachute. From the acclaimed author of Dance Like a Leaf, with stunning illustrations by Kip Alizadeh, this book will inspire readers to honor their wishes and show the world their truest selves.

In 1954, a twelve-year-old boy in a logging settlement in northern New Hampshire mistakenly identifies the local constable’s girlfriend as a bear, leading both him and his father to become fugitives. They flee Coos County, traveling to Boston, southern Vermont, and Toronto, pursued by the relentless constable. Their only ally is a fiercely libertarian logger, a former river driver who becomes their protector. Spanning five decades, the narrative reflects on the past half-century in the U.S., illustrating how deep-seated hatreds often go unchecked. From its gripping opening line to its poignant conclusion, the story is infused with the historical depth and emotional resonance characteristic of the author’s previous works. It shares the same violent and unsettling qualities found in his earlier bestseller. What sets this tale apart is the author’s distinctive voice, marking him as a master storyteller. In a reflective moment towards the end, he notes the unpredictable nature of human connections, emphasizing how people can enter and exit our lives unexpectedly, much like a sudden flight from Heaven to Earth.

'The first of my father's illusions was that bears could survive the life lived by human beings, and the second was that human beings could survive a life led in hotels.' So says John Berry, son of a hapless dreamer, brother to a cadre of eccentric siblings, and chronicler of the lives lived, the loves experienced, the deaths met, and the myriad strange and wonderful times encountered by the family Berry. Hoteliers, pet-bear owners, friends of Freud (the animal trainer and vaudevillian, that is), and playthings of mad fate, they 'dream on' in this funny, sad, outrageous, and moving novel.