The Hotel New Hampshire (Black Swan)
by John Irving
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Read in March, 2007
Mi primer Irving. Y me gusta, me gusta, a pesar de que hay alguna serie de defectos que en otras circunstancias normalmente hacen que se me agote la paciencia. Me refiero al hecho de que es un libro en lo que importa no son los personajes sino la trama. Quiero decir que en este libro Papá podría haber sido interpretado por Frank, Frank por Egg, Egg por Franny, Franny por Lilly, y esencialmente nada hubiera cambiado. Los personajes sólo son excusas que van a remolque de la trama. En ocasiones ...more
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Read in April, 2008
So far this is the weakest John Irving book I have read. His books are always crazy and slightly unbelievable, but this is the first time I didn't believe. Spoilers ahead. First off all I just didn't believe the plane death. Who travels in plans separately, did people actually do this? You drive in the same car together, going separately just doubles your risk. Plane crashes are just so unlikely that I didn't buy this for a second. I really liked Egg and Mother, but wasn't sad when they di...more
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Read in January, 2002
recommended to Shriya by:
Hari
I read this book a long time ago for the first time, but only recently since then. I'd forgotten what a good author John Irving was- or maybe it's just that at 12 years of age, I wasn't able to appreciate everything he was getting at.
I really liked this book for the way in which it makes me laugh - at especially unfunny situations. Frank and his cymbals. Egg who was named egg, because well, he was just an agg when he was conceived. Lilly who tried to grow - and maybe everyone else should ha...more
I really liked this book for the way in which it makes me laugh - at especially unfunny situations. Frank and his cymbals. Egg who was named egg, because well, he was just an agg when he was conceived. Lilly who tried to grow - and maybe everyone else should ha...more
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Read in June, 2007
To describe the plotline of The Hotel New Hampshire to a questioning would-be reader is to realize that you’ve been enthralled with a plot that is, at its core, rather silly. Circus bears and run-down hotels, plane crashes (so silly!) and midgets, botched taxidermy and obsessive weight-lifting – these are what Irving novels are made of. This was an undeniably fun read that I sped through, and I picked up another Irving (A Widow for One Year) as soon as I was done (I just can’t get enough...more
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
quixotic dreamers
I love this novel despite its flaws. It's rare when you read a great novel that shows its flaws so openly, but still manages to be a good novel. I don't recomend this as the first John Irving book for anyone to read. I'd say, make it your third or fourth. This book tends to do what I've never seen any novels do and which is not necessarily a good thing which is list off what is going on rather than describe it. It sort of reads as a really brilliant first draft for a book that isn't finished and...more
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i've probably read this 10 times now. i went through a john irving phase, and i ODed about half-way through. (140lb marriage is a terrible book, btw. don't do it).
but this is one of my favorite books. it would be desert island number three, but it's a little too sad... i don't think it would be a good idea to isolate myself with it on an island to read again and again for eternity. that said, it's irving at his best. anyone who can take a family involved in incest and abuse and prosti...more
but this is one of my favorite books. it would be desert island number three, but it's a little too sad... i don't think it would be a good idea to isolate myself with it on an island to read again and again for eternity. that said, it's irving at his best. anyone who can take a family involved in incest and abuse and prosti...more
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Read in June, 1989
I read this in between 7th and 8th grade, and it really blew my mind. I remember checking it out from the air force base library, and the clerk with the lazy eye looking at me like I was absolutely bonkers for wanting to read something so absolutely not intended for 12 year olds.
I had no idea what the hell was going on in it. All I knew was that it had a kid named Egg, some crazy incest stuff, and that Rob Lowe, Jodie Foster, that guy from "Fame," that girl from "The Beniker G...more
I had no idea what the hell was going on in it. All I knew was that it had a kid named Egg, some crazy incest stuff, and that Rob Lowe, Jodie Foster, that guy from "Fame," that girl from "The Beniker G...more
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
Everyone
Awesome book. I had never read Irving before, and I have no idea why not. He's like that Deli that you always drive by but never go into, then one day decide "what the hell" and it turns out to have the best pastrami sandwich you've ever had in your life.
Anyway, the story revolves around an unusual family growing up and learning about sex, sports, love, death, failure, success, etc etc. It's quirky and funny and strange - Irving has a knack for finding little bits of truth in trul...more
Anyway, the story revolves around an unusual family growing up and learning about sex, sports, love, death, failure, success, etc etc. It's quirky and funny and strange - Irving has a knack for finding little bits of truth in trul...more
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Read in January, 1993
I saw part of this movie a long time ago and it was so weird I had to read the book. A love affair with Irving was born. The novel is better than the movie - although I think it is a great adaptation.
One of my favorite Irving literary devices is the story withing the story written by a character. Egg's talent, eerie understanding of her uniqueness is compelling.
The dynamic of the sibling relationship between them all is at once disturbing, heartbreaking and hilarious. From the romanti...more
One of my favorite Irving literary devices is the story withing the story written by a character. Egg's talent, eerie understanding of her uniqueness is compelling.
The dynamic of the sibling relationship between them all is at once disturbing, heartbreaking and hilarious. From the romanti...more
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Read in December, 2007
I really wanted to like this book, and at first I did. But then they went to Vienna...and then it just got long. And confused. And I really hate to do this here, in such a public forum, but, I really think it's my duty as a goodreads do gooder...
BT, yet again your 5 star rating is WRONG. You should be ashamed of yourself. What are you doing, just clicking haphazardly on stars? Are you not taking your job here seriously? Am I going to have to ban you from reading? I think you need to ...more
BT, yet again your 5 star rating is WRONG. You should be ashamed of yourself. What are you doing, just clicking haphazardly on stars? Are you not taking your job here seriously? Am I going to have to ban you from reading? I think you need to ...more
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As go a number of Irving stories, this book is very odd (numerous fantastic events in the midst of a "natural" storyline), and I would not recommend this to my general list of friends. But I personally enjoy it for the storytelling. Much as I'm careful about the content of some of his stories, Irving is a master at the ART of storytelling; I picture sitting at a fireplace, being entertained by a grandfatherly type, with all the necessary embellishments and hominess and humor.
I ...more
I ...more
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recommends it for:
Readers who like quirky characters
John Irving's books are always so hard to pin down. I love them because there's never any doubt that you're reading Irving, and his characters are often both intensely eccentric and somehow familiar for that very fact. This is one of my favorites. In general, the books he wrote towards the middle of his career, after he hit his stride and before he started to seem quixotic for weirdness's sake, tend to be my favorites, with this being (arguably) my favorite. The World According to Garp is also w...more
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The character development in this book is priceless..This book made me love reading and it's the first book I remember sobbing over a character's death. I believed I picked it up sometime in high school and have loved Irving's work since. There is the odd incestuos backstory happening which may be weird for some but made complete sense in the conclusion.. And I smirk as if swallowing a magic potion when I remember the dear advice to "keep passing the open windows." Oddly dark for my us...more
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Read in January, 1998
This was my first foray into John Irving's writing, but I think this book may have raised the bar too high because nothing I've read of his since has come even close to this book's level of brilliance. However, I was living abroad at the time and was feening hardcore for English, so that may have something to do with it. But really, I think it's the book. The family's close bond, the tragedy (OK, I guess it is typical Irving), the bear ... It's so great! I guess there's a movie, too, but I have ...more
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Read in December, 1997
I remember taking this out of the UVA library right before Christmas break of my 4th year. I was very excited to read it and somewhat liked it at the time. It has all the hallmarks of an early John Irving novel - German speakers, bears, wrestling, and New England. I thought about the story a lot after reading it and felt, I don't know, dirty and used. The story tries to be so cute but comes across as the ultimate in pretension. Needless to say, I no longer consider myself a John Irving fan....more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
I really loved this book. I found out about it through one of my social work professors in college because in the book, there is a dog named Sorrow and I was really intrigued by the symbolism that Sorrow comes to represent throughout the book. There are some sad moments as well as some unorthodox moments (uh, brotherly-sisterly love?!?!) but....aside from that, I really like this book. John Irving's writing is definitely quirky and different than most, but he is one of my favorite authors.
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So, here's my funny story. Tracy wrote (god, you are all I have to talk about!) about this being an incest book and I was like, "incest? what incest?!" So, she reminded me of when the brother and sister hole up and make like rabbits and I was like, "Oh yeah! THAT incest!" I would like to say that I am not, personally, into incest. But boy was I glad when they finally were. It's like wanting, wanting, pleading with the prince to just kiss Snow White! He finally did.
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Read in December, 2006
In my mind, John Irving does two things really well: One, he makes unbelievable things seem believable, and two, he builds his narratives to amazing climaxes. In this book, the former was showcased exceptionally; the latter, not so much. In fact, the most notable events in this book seemed to pop up nonchalantly, which is effective in its own way, but not what I've come to expect from Irving. On my list of Irving favorites, I'd place this one squarely in the middle.
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Read in January, 1992
I read this as a sophmore in high school and it was the most outrageous, adult, thought provoking and engrossing book i'd read to that point. He was the most powerful writer i'd read to that point and it was my first experience with being transported into the authors world and accepting his/her reality as my reality. I think this is the book, read back to back with Pillars of the Earth, that cemented my passion for reading.
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Read in April, 2002
My favorite John Irving. This book is utterly ridiculous, not very realistic, and amazing. If you are easily offended and/or would be by reading a book where one of the major themes is incest...and incest that is portrayed in a more positive light. There's a bear, there's an egg, there's a brother and sister in love, there's hooker and such...altogether it equals some great John Irving and a really weird book. Enjoy!
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 3.80 (4320 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 3.81 (3313 ratings) number of reviews: 211popular shelves
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quote
"So we dream on. Thus we invent our lives. We give ourselves a sainted mother, we make our father a hero; and someone’s older brother and someone’s older sister – they become our heroes too. We invent what we love and what we fear. There is always a brave lost brother – and a little lost sister, too. We dream on and on: the best hotel, the perfect family, the resort life. And our dreams escape us almost as vividly as we can imagine them… That’s what happens, like it or not. And because that’s what happens, this is what we need: we need a good, smart bear… Coach Bob knew it all along: you’ve got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows.
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