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paroof's review against another edition
5.0
Every time I read one one of his books, I fall in love with Irving all over again. He's brilliant, and so is this book. It has everything I expect from this genius author including a bear.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
sjyudelson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kingdamian345's review against another edition
challenging
dark
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I just didn’t get it, I think. I’m sure there’s something very profound, but my god, definitely not worth rereading. I also think it wasn’t nearly as funny as it was meant to be. I don’t think I like a single character. Long story short, If you want to read Irving, don’t start here
Edit: two days after finishing the book I just can’t stop thinking about it. This might be a classic “all the pretty horses” situation where it just takes a while to sink in, but there are parts that I genuinely can’t stop thinking about, mostly revolving around Win Berry. I still don’t think it’s as good as Garp (or “horses”, for that matter), but I don’t think it’s a 2 star book by any means. I do think that John Irving thinks Vienna is a lot more interesting than it actually is, in both this book and Garp, those are the sections I’ll be skimming on reread
Edit: two days after finishing the book I just can’t stop thinking about it. This might be a classic “all the pretty horses” situation where it just takes a while to sink in, but there are parts that I genuinely can’t stop thinking about, mostly revolving around Win Berry. I still don’t think it’s as good as Garp (or “horses”, for that matter), but I don’t think it’s a 2 star book by any means. I do think that John Irving thinks Vienna is a lot more interesting than it actually is, in both this book and Garp, those are the sections I’ll be skimming on reread
ediefitz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
pcro99's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Compared to other Irving novels, the pacing here seems off. The book meanders a bit too much and is drawn out too long.
thaggstrom50's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lanttu's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
kingabee's review against another edition
4.0
I've always known about 'Hotel New Hampshire'. I never knew what it was about but I knew there was a book. I knew there was a film too. I somehow imagined it to be something Hitchock-like mixed Last Tango In Paris. Imagine my surprise. So far there is something about a bear. I will finish this review when I am done reading.
Ok. Done reading. I don't think John Irving will ever get five stars from me. Though he is an excellent story-teller - and this is what a purpose of every novel should be - to tell a good story. All modern and not so modern writers that have some other hidden agenda should probably consider a career change. Telling stories is what writing novels is all about. And John Irving does that superbly. You never know if it is a plot-driven novel or character-driven novel because he seems to put equal effort into developing both his characters and his story. They go hand in hand and develop together. Kudos for that.
As a true story teller Irving often goes astray. He just loves to digress, and digress... and digress... However, it didn't bother me at all in The Hotel New Hampshire (unlike in the Prayer for Owen Meany). The real problem I have with Irving and the reason why probably will never get five stars from me is his really cheesy symbolism. I have no problem with books asking me for a serious supsense of disbelief. But Irving puts all that crazy sh!%$ in his books just so he can have his symbolism. I think his tricks are cheap. And sometimes I really don't know. Is Irving a truly amazing writer or is he just tricking me into believing he is while always serving me the same recycled dish?
Ok. Done reading. I don't think John Irving will ever get five stars from me. Though he is an excellent story-teller - and this is what a purpose of every novel should be - to tell a good story. All modern and not so modern writers that have some other hidden agenda should probably consider a career change. Telling stories is what writing novels is all about. And John Irving does that superbly. You never know if it is a plot-driven novel or character-driven novel because he seems to put equal effort into developing both his characters and his story. They go hand in hand and develop together. Kudos for that.
As a true story teller Irving often goes astray. He just loves to digress, and digress... and digress... However, it didn't bother me at all in The Hotel New Hampshire (unlike in the Prayer for Owen Meany). The real problem I have with Irving and the reason why probably will never get five stars from me is his really cheesy symbolism. I have no problem with books asking me for a serious supsense of disbelief. But Irving puts all that crazy sh!%$ in his books just so he can have his symbolism. I think his tricks are cheap. And sometimes I really don't know. Is Irving a truly amazing writer or is he just tricking me into believing he is while always serving me the same recycled dish?
revrebeccatankersley's review against another edition
5.0
I love John Irving's novels - all of them. This was no exception!