John Winslow Irving (born John Wallace Blunt Jr.; March 2, 1942)
is an American and Canadian novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter.
Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of his fourth novel ''
The World According to Garp
''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man who is born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, then grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the N ...
'' in 1978. Many of Irving's novels, including ''
The Hotel New Hampshire
''The Hotel New Hampshire'' is a 1981 coming of age novel by American-Canadian writer John Irving, his fifth published novel.
Plot
This novel is the story of the Berrys, a quirky New Hampshire family composed of a married couple, Win and Mar ...
'' (1981), ''
The Cider House Rules
''The Cider House Rules'' (1985) is a ''Bildungsroman'' by American writer John Irving that was later adapted into a 1999 film by Lasse Hallström and a stage play by Peter Parnell. Set in the pre– and post–World War II era, the story tel ...
'' (1985), ''
A Prayer for Owen Meany
''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960 ...
'' (1989), and ''
A Widow for One Year'' (1998), have been
bestseller
A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...
s. He won the
Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay adapted from previously established material. The most frequently adapted media are novels, but other adapted narrative formats include stage plays, mus ...
at the
72nd Academy Awards
The 72nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored 1999 in film, films released in 1999 and took place on March 26, 2000, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, beginning at 5:30&nb ...
in 2000 for his script of
the film adaptation of ''The Cider House Rules''.
["John Irving 1999 Acceptance Speech on Winning the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay"](_blank)
, ''oscars.org''
Five of his novels have been fully or partially adapted into the films ''
The World According to Garp
''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man who is born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, then grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the N ...
'' (1982),
''The Hotel'' ''New Hampshire'' (1984), ''
Simon Birch
''Simon Birch'' is a 1998 American comedy-drama film loosely based on the 1989 novel '' A Prayer for Owen Meany'' by John Irving and written for the screen and directed by Mark Steven Johnson in his directorial debut. The film stars Ian Micha ...
'' (1998), ''The Cider House Rules'' (1999), and ''
The Door in the Floor
''The Door in the Floor'' is a 2004 American drama film written and directed by Tod Williams. The screenplay is based on the first third of the 1998 novel '' A Widow for One Year'' by John Irving.
Plot
Set in an exclusive beach community on Lon ...
'' (2004). Several of Irving's books and short stories have been set in and around New England, in fictional towns resembling
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a New England town, town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. Its population was 16,049 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county ...
.
Early life
Irving was born John Wallace Blunt Jr. in
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a New England town, town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. Its population was 16,049 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county ...
, the son of Helen Frances (
née
The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Winslow) and John Wallace Blunt Sr., a writer and executive recruiter; the couple separated during pregnancy.
Irving was raised by his mother and stepfather, Colin Franklin Newell Irving, who was a
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...
faculty member. His uncle
Hammy Bissell was also part of the faculty. John Irving was in the Phillips Exeter wrestling program as a
student athlete
Student athlete (or student–athlete) is a term used principally in universities in the United States and Canada to describe students enrolled at postsecondary educational institutions, principally colleges and universities, but also at sec ...
and as an
assistant coach
An athletic coach is a person coaching in sport, involved in the direction, instruction, and training of a sports team or athlete.
History
The original sense of the word ''Coach'' is that of a Coach (carriage), horse-drawn carriage, deriving ul ...
, and wrestling features prominently in his books, stories, and life. While a student at Exeter, Irving was taught by author and Christian theologian
Frederick Buechner
Carl Frederick Buechner ( ; July 11, 1926 – August 15, 2022) was an American author, Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies ...
, whom he quoted in an epigraph in ''
A Prayer for Owen Meany
''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960 ...
''. Irving has dyslexia.
Irving never met his biological father, who was a pilot in the
Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
during World War II. In July 1943, John Blunt Sr. was shot down over Burma but survived. The incident was incorporated into ''The Cider House Rules''. Irving did not find out about his father's heroism until 1981, when he was almost 40 years old.
Career
Irving's career began at the age of 26 with the publication of his first novel, ''
Setting Free the Bears
''Setting Free the Bears'' is the first novel by American author John Irving, published in 1968 by Random House.
Irving studied at the Institute of European Studies in Vienna in 1963, and ''Bears'' was written between 1965 and 1967 based largel ...
'' (1968). The novel was reasonably well reviewed but failed to gain a large readership. In the late 1960s, he studied under
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut ( ; November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American author known for his Satire, satirical and darkly humorous novels. His published work includes fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and five nonfict ...
at the
University of Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa, is a graduate-level creative writing program. At 89 years, it is the oldest writing program offering a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in the United States. Its acceptance rate is between 2. ...
. His second and third novels, ''
The Water-Method Man
''The Water Method Man'' (1972) is the second published novel by American novelist John Irving.
Plot summary
The novel revolves around the mishaps of its narrator, Fred Trumper, a floundering late-twenty-something graduate student with serious ...
'' (1972) and ''
The 158-Pound Marriage
''The 158-Pound Marriage'' is the third novel by American author John Irving. The book explores the sexual revolution-era trend of " swinging" (partner-swapping) via a glimpse into the lives of two couples in a small New England college town wh ...
'' (1974), were similarly received. In 1975, Irving accepted a position as assistant professor of English at
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States. It is the oldest member of the h ...
.
Frustrated at the lack of promotion his novels were receiving from his first publisher,
Random House
Random House is an imprint and publishing group of Penguin Random House. Founded in 1927 by businessmen Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer as an imprint of Modern Library, it quickly overtook Modern Library as the parent imprint. Over the foll ...
, Irving offered his fourth novel, ''
The World According to Garp
''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man who is born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, then grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the N ...
'' (1978), to
Dutton, which promised him stronger commitment to marketing. The novel became an international bestseller and cultural phenomenon. It was a finalist for the
National Book Award for Fiction
The National Book Award for Fiction is one of five annual National Book Awards, which recognize outstanding literary work by United States citizens. Since 1987, the awards have been administered and presented by the National Book Foundation, bu ...
in 1979 (which ultimately went to
Tim O'Brien for ''
Going After Cacciato
''Going After Cacciato'' is an anti-war novel written by Tim O'Brien and first published by Delacorte Press in 1978. The novel is set during the Vietnam War. It is told from the third person limited point of view of an American soldier, Paul ...
'')
["National Book Awards – 1979"]
. National Book Foundation
The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established with the goal "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America." Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: ...
. Retrieved March 14, 2012. and its first paperback edition won the Award the next year.
["National Book Awards – 1980"]
. National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-03-14. (With essays by Deb Caletti and Craig Nova from the Awards 60-year anniversary blog.)[''Garp'' won the 1980 award for paperback general Fiction. ]
From 1980 to 1983 in National Book Awards history there were dual hardcover and paperback awards in most categories, and multiple fiction categories, especially in 1980. Most of the paperback award-winners were reprints, including this one. ''Garp'' was later made into
a film directed by
George Roy Hill
George Roy Hill (December 20, 1921 – December 27, 2002) was an American actor and film director.
His films include ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' (1969) and ''The Sting'' (1973), both starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford; both fil ...
, starring
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...
in the title role and
Glenn Close
Glenda Veronica Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. In a career spanning over five decades on Glenn Close on screen and stage, screen and stage, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Glenn Close, numerous ac ...
as his mother; it garnered several
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nominations, including nominations for Close and
John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. He studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his John Lithgow filmography, diverse work on stage and screen. He has rece ...
. Irving makes a brief
cameo appearance
A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...
in the film as the referee in one of Garp's high school wrestling matches.

''The World According to Garp'' was among three books recommended to the Pulitzer Advisory Board for consideration for the 1979 Award in Fiction in the Pulitzer Jury Committee report, although the award was given to ''
The Stories of John Cheever
''The Stories of John Cheever'' is a 1978 short story collection by American author John Cheever. It contains some of his most famous stories, including " The Enormous Radio", "Goodbye, My Brother", "The Country Husband", " The Five-Forty-Eight" ...
'' (1978).
''Garp'' transformed Irving from an obscure literary writer to a household name, and his subsequent books were bestsellers. The next was ''The Hotel New Hampshire'' (1981), which sold well despite mixed reviews from critics. Like ''Garp'', the novel was quickly made into a
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
, this time directed by
Tony Richardson
Cecil Antonio Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director, producer and screenwriter, whose career spanned five decades. He was identified with the "angry young men" group of British directors and play ...
and starring
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. Foster started her career as a child actor before establishing herself as leading actress in film. She has received List of awards and nominations re ...
,
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor, filmmaker, and entertainment host. Following numerous television roles in the early 1980s, he came to prominence as a teen idol and member of the Brat Pack with starring roles in ...
, and
Beau Bridges
Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor. He is a three-time Emmy Award, Emmy, two-time Golden Globe Award, Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nomine ...
. "Interior Space", a short story originally published in
''Fiction'' magazine in 1980, was selected for the 1981
O. Henry Prize
The O. Henry Award is an annual American award given to short stories of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American short-story writer O. Henry.
The ''PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories'' is an annual collection of the year's twenty best ...
Stories collection.
In 1985, Irving published ''
The Cider House Rules
''The Cider House Rules'' (1985) is a ''Bildungsroman'' by American writer John Irving that was later adapted into a 1999 film by Lasse Hallström and a stage play by Peter Parnell. Set in the pre– and post–World War II era, the story tel ...
''. An epic set in a Maine orphanage, the novel's central topic is
abortion
Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...
. Many drew parallels between the novel and
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
' ''
Oliver Twist
''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, ...
'' (1838). Irving's next novel was ''
A Prayer for Owen Meany
''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960 ...
'' (1989), another New England family epic about religion set in a New England boarding school and in
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
. The novel was influenced by ''
The Tin Drum
''The Tin Drum'' (, ) is a 1959 novel by Günter Grass, the first book of his Danzig Trilogy. It was adapted into a 1979 film, which won both the 1979 Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1980.
To "beat a ti ...
'' (1959) by
Günter Grass
Günter Wilhelm Grass (; 16 October 1927 – 13 April 2015) was a German novelist, poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist, sculptor, and recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature.
He was born in the Free City of Danzig (now Gda ...
, and the plot contains further allusions to ''
The Scarlet Letter
''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a historical novel by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who concei ...
'' (1850) by
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne (né Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion.
He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associat ...
and the works of Dickens. In ''Owen Meany,'' Irving for the first time examined the consequences of the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
—particularly
mandatory conscription
Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...
, which Irving
avoided because he was a married father when of age for the draft.
''Owen Meany'' became Irving's best selling book since ''Garp.''
Irving returned to Random House for his next book, ''
A Son of the Circus'' (1995). Arguably his most complicated and difficult book, and a departure from the themes and settings of his previous novels, it received ambivalent reviews by American critics
but became a national and international bestseller on the strength of Irving's reputation for fashioning literate, engrossing page-turners. Irving returned in 1998 with ''
A Widow for One Year'', which was named a ''New York Times'' Notable Book.
In 1999, after nearly 10 years in development, Irving's screenplay for ''The Cider House Rules'' was made into
a film directed by
Lasse Hallström
Lars Sven "Lasse" Hallström (; born 2 June 1946) is a Swedish film director. He first became known for directing almost all the music videos by the pop music, pop group ABBA, but came to international attention with his 1985 feature film ''My L ...
, starring
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...
,
Tobey Maguire
Tobias Vincent Maguire (born 27 June 1975) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for starring as Peter Parker (2002 film series character), Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man in film#Sam Raimi's trilogy, ''Spider-Man'' tr ...
,
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 201 ...
, and
Delroy Lindo
Delroy George Lindo (born 18 November 1952) is an English-American actor. He is the recipient of such accolades as an NAACP Image Award, a Satellite Award, and nominations for a Drama Desk Award, a Helen Hayes Award, a Tony Award, two Critics' ...
. Irving also made a cameo appearance as a disapproving stationmaster. The film was nominated for several
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
, including Best Picture, and earned Irving an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Irving wrote ''My Movie Business'', a
memoir
A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based on the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autob ...
about his involvement in creating the film version of ''The Cider House Rules''. After its publication in 1999, he appeared on the
CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
program ''
Hot Type
In printing and typography, hot metal typesetting (also called mechanical typesetting, hot lead typesetting, hot metal, and hot type) is a technology for typesetting text in letterpress printing. This method injects molten type metal into a mo ...
'' to promote the book. During the interview, he was asked about author
Tom Wolfe
Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018)Some sources say 1931; ''The New York Times'' and Reuters both initially reported 1931 in their obituaries before changing to 1930. See and was an American author and journalist widely ...
"once again" proclaiming the death of the modern novel. Irving responded, "I don't read Tom Wolfe, so I didn't hear what he said." The episode then cut to a photo of Wolfe, and Irving elaborating that Wolfe "can't write" and his writing made Irving gag.
When asked about his statements subsequently, Irving has said he believed the ''Hot Type'' interview was over and he was speaking off the record, and that footage from the interview had been manipulated. Wolfe appeared on ''Hot Type'' later in 1999, calling Irving,
Norman Mailer
Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American writer, journalist and filmmaker. In a career spanning more than six decades, Mailer had 11 best-selling books, at least ...
, and
John Updike
John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once (the others being Booth Tar ...
his "three stooges" who were panicked by his newest novel, ''
A Man in Full
''A Man in Full'' is the second novel by Tom Wolfe, published on November 12, 1998, by Farrar, Straus & Giroux. It is set primarily in Atlanta, with a significant portion of the story also taking place in the East Bay region of the San Francisc ...
'' (1998).
Irving's 10th book, ''
The Fourth Hand'' (2001), also became a bestseller. In 2004, ''
A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound
''A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound'', published by Doubleday (publisher), Doubleday Books for Young Readers on September 28, 2004, (), is a children's picture book written by John Irving and illustrated by Tatjana Hauptmann. The ti ...
'', a children's picture book originally included in ''A Widow for One Year'', was published with illustrations by Tatjana Hauptmann. Irving's 11th novel, ''
Until I Find You
''Until I Find You'' (2005) is the 11th published novel by John Irving. The novel was originally written in first person and only changed 10 months before publication. After realizing that so much of the material—childhood sexual abuse and a l ...
'', was released on July 12, 2005.
On June 28, 2005, ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' published an article revealing that ''Until I Find You'' (2005) contains two specifically personal elements about his life that he had never before discussed publicly: his sexual abuse at age 11 by an older woman, and the recent entrance in his life of his biological father's family.
In his 12th novel, ''
Last Night in Twisted River
''Last Night in Twisted River'' is a 2009 novel by American writer John Irving, his 12th since 1968. It was first published (in English) in the Netherlands by De Bezige Bij on September 1, 2009, in Canada by Knopf Canada on October 20, 2009, a ...
'', published in 2009, Irving's central character is a novelist with, as critic Boyd Tonkin puts it, "a career that teasingly follows Irving's own."
Irving has had four novels reach number one on the bestseller list of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'': ''The Hotel New Hampshire'' (September 27, 1981), which stayed number one for seven weeks, and was in the top 15 for over 27 weeks; ''The Cider House Rules'' (June 16, 1985); ''A Widow for One Year'' (June 14, 1998); and ''The Fourth Hand'' (July 29, 2001).
Other projects
Before the publication of ''Garp'' made him independently wealthy, Irving sporadically accepted short-term teaching positions (including one at his ''alma mater'', the
Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa, is a graduate-level creative writing program. At 89 years, it is the oldest writing program offering a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in the United States. Its acceptance rate is between 2 ...
). He also served as an assistant coach on his sons' high school wrestling teams until he was 47 years old. Irving was inducted into the
National Wrestling Hall of Fame
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and hall of fame for amateur wrestling, headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2010, it began operating the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa.
History
The museum was awarded to Stil ...
as an Outstanding American in 1992.
In addition to his novels, he has also published ''
Trying to Save Piggy Sneed'' (1996), a collection of his writings including a brief memoir and unpublished short fiction, ''My Movie Business'', an account of the protracted process of bringing ''The Cider House Rules'' to the big screen, and ''The Imaginary Girlfriend'', a short memoir focusing on writing and wrestling. In 2000, Irving revealed that he and Tod "Kip" Williams were co-writing a screenplay for an adaptation of the novel ''A Widow for One Year'' (1998). This adaptation became ''
The Door in the Floor
''The Door in the Floor'' is a 2004 American drama film written and directed by Tod Williams. The screenplay is based on the first third of the 1998 novel '' A Widow for One Year'' by John Irving.
Plot
Set in an exclusive beach community on Lon ...
'', starring
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his Leading actor, leading man roles in film and television. In a career spanning over seven decades, he has received List of awards and nominations received by ...
and
Kim Basinger
Kimila Ann Basinger ( ; born December 8, 1953) is an American actress. She has garnered acclaim for her work in film, for which she has received various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a ...
, released in 2004, directed by Williams.
In 2002, his four most highly regarded novels, ''The World According to Garp'', ''The Cider House Rules'', ''
A Prayer for Owen Meany
''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960 ...
'', and ''A Widow for One Year'', were published in
Modern Library
The Modern Library is an American book publishing Imprint (trade name), imprint and formerly the parent company of Random House. Founded in 1917 by Albert Boni and Horace Liveright as an imprint of their publishing company Boni & Liveright, Moder ...
editions. ''Owen Meany'' was adapted into the 1998 film ''
Simon Birch
''Simon Birch'' is a 1998 American comedy-drama film loosely based on the 1989 novel '' A Prayer for Owen Meany'' by John Irving and written for the screen and directed by Mark Steven Johnson in his directorial debut. The film stars Ian Micha ...
'' (Irving required that the title and character names be changed because the screenplay's story was "markedly different" from that of the novel; Irving is on record as having enjoyed the film, however).
In 2005, Irving received the Golden Plate Award of the
American Academy of Achievement
The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a nonprofit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest-achieving people in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet one ano ...
.
In a ''
New York Magazine
''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City.
Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...
'' interview in 2009, Irving stated that he had begun work on a new novel, his 13th, based in part on a speech from
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's ''
Richard II
Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...
.''
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
published the novel, titled ''
In One Person
''In One Person'' is a 2012 novel by American author John Irving, his 13th since 1968. The book was published on May 8, 2012, by Simon & Schuster, and deals with the coming of age of a bisexual man and his coming to grips with his sexual identit ...
'' (2012), taking over from Random House. ''In One Person'' has a first-person viewpoint, Irving's first such narrative since ''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' (Irving decided to change the first-person perspective of ''Until I Find You'' to third person less than a year before publication).
''In One Person'' features a 60-year-old, bisexual protagonist named William, looking back on his life in the 1950s and '60s. The novel shares a similar theme and concern with ''The World According to Garp'', the latter being in part about "people who hate you for your sexual differences," said Irving.
He won a
Lambda Literary Award
Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary Foundation, Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ+ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ+ literatur ...
in 2013 in the Bisexual Fiction category for ''In One Person'', and was also awarded the organization's Bridge Builder Award to honor him as an ally of the
LGBT
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
community.
On June 10, 2013, Irving announced his next novel, his 14th, titled ''
Avenue of Mysteries'', named after a street in
Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
. In an interview the previous year, he had revealed the last line of the book: "Not every collision course comes as a surprise."
On December 19, 2014, Irving posted a message on the Facebook page devoted to him and his work that he had "finished 'Avenue of Mysteries.' It is a shorter novel for me, comparable in length to 'In One Person.'" Simon & Schuster published the book in November, 2015.
On November 3, 2015, Irving revealed that he'd been approached by
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
and
Warner Brothers
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
to reconstruct ''The World According to Garp'' as a
miniseries
In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
. He described the project as being in the early stages.
According to the byline of a self-penned, February 20, 2017, essay for
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
, Irving had completed his teleplay for the five-part series based on ''The World According to Garp'' and was working on his fifteenth novel.
On June 28, 2017, Irving revealed in a long letter to fans on Facebook that his new novel was primarily a ghost story. "...I have a history of being interested in ghosts. And here come the ghosts again. In my new novel, my fifteenth, the ghosts are more prominent than before; the novel begins and ends with them. Like ''A Widow for One Year'', this novel is constructed as a play in three acts. I'm calling Act I 'Early Signs.' I began writing it on New Year's Eve—not a bad night to start a ghost story."
In an interview with Mike Kilen for ''
The Des Moines Register
''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa, United States.
History Early period
The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cab ...
'', published on October 26, 2017, Irving revealed that the title of his novel-in-progress was "Darkness As a Bride." The title was taken from Shakespeare's play, ''
Measure for Measure
''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604. It was published in the First Folio of 1623.
The play centers on the despotic and puritan Angelo (Measure for ...
:'' "If I must die, / I will encounter darkness as a bride, / and hug it in mine arms." He later changed the title to
The Last Chairlift''. The novel was published by Simon & Schuster in October 2022.
Irving received the Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award at the annual
Dayton Literary Peace Prize
The Dayton Literary Peace Prize is an annual United States literary award "recognizing the power of the written word to promote peace" that was first awarded in 2006. Awards are given for adult fiction and non-fiction books published at some point ...
gala on October 28, 2018.
Works
Novels
* ''
Setting Free the Bears
''Setting Free the Bears'' is the first novel by American author John Irving, published in 1968 by Random House.
Irving studied at the Institute of European Studies in Vienna in 1963, and ''Bears'' was written between 1965 and 1967 based largel ...
'' (
Random House
Random House is an imprint and publishing group of Penguin Random House. Founded in 1927 by businessmen Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer as an imprint of Modern Library, it quickly overtook Modern Library as the parent imprint. Over the foll ...
, 1968)
* ''
The Water-Method Man
''The Water Method Man'' (1972) is the second published novel by American novelist John Irving.
Plot summary
The novel revolves around the mishaps of its narrator, Fred Trumper, a floundering late-twenty-something graduate student with serious ...
'' (Random House, 1972)
* ''
The 158-Pound Marriage
''The 158-Pound Marriage'' is the third novel by American author John Irving. The book explores the sexual revolution-era trend of " swinging" (partner-swapping) via a glimpse into the lives of two couples in a small New England college town wh ...
'' (Random House, 1974)
* ''
The World According to Garp
''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man who is born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, then grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the N ...
'' (
Dutton, 1978)
* ''
The Hotel New Hampshire
''The Hotel New Hampshire'' is a 1981 coming of age novel by American-Canadian writer John Irving, his fifth published novel.
Plot
This novel is the story of the Berrys, a quirky New Hampshire family composed of a married couple, Win and Mar ...
'' (Dutton, 1981)
* ''
The Cider House Rules
''The Cider House Rules'' (1985) is a ''Bildungsroman'' by American writer John Irving that was later adapted into a 1999 film by Lasse Hallström and a stage play by Peter Parnell. Set in the pre– and post–World War II era, the story tel ...
'' (
William Morrow, 1985)
* ''
A Prayer for Owen Meany
''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960 ...
'' (William Morrow, 1989)
* ''
A Son of the Circus'' (Random House, 1994)
* ''
A Widow for One Year'' (Random House, 1998)
* ''
The Fourth Hand'' (Random House, 2001)
* ''
Until I Find You
''Until I Find You'' (2005) is the 11th published novel by John Irving. The novel was originally written in first person and only changed 10 months before publication. After realizing that so much of the material—childhood sexual abuse and a l ...
'' (Random House, 2005)
* ''
Last Night in Twisted River
''Last Night in Twisted River'' is a 2009 novel by American writer John Irving, his 12th since 1968. It was first published (in English) in the Netherlands by De Bezige Bij on September 1, 2009, in Canada by Knopf Canada on October 20, 2009, a ...
'' (Random House, 2009)
* ''
In One Person
''In One Person'' is a 2012 novel by American author John Irving, his 13th since 1968. The book was published on May 8, 2012, by Simon & Schuster, and deals with the coming of age of a bisexual man and his coming to grips with his sexual identit ...
'' (
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
, 2012) )
* ''
Avenue of Mysteries'' (Simon & Schuster, 2015) )
* ''The Last Chairlift'' (Simon & Schuster, 2022)
* ''Queen Esther'' (
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
, 2025)
Short fiction
* ''
Trying to Save Piggy Sneed'' (
Arcade Publishing
Arcade Publishing is an Imprint (trade name), imprint of the American book publisher Skyhorse Publishing, Skyhorse. Founded in 1988 by Richard Seaver and his wife Jeannette, it was originally an independent company publishing trade fiction and no ...
, 1996)
Other fiction
* ''The Cider House Rules: A Screenplay'' (1999)
* ''
A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound
''A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound'', published by Doubleday (publisher), Doubleday Books for Young Readers on September 28, 2004, (), is a children's picture book written by John Irving and illustrated by Tatjana Hauptmann. The ti ...
'' (children's) (2004)
Nonfiction
* ''The Imaginary Girlfriend'' (1995)
* ''My Movie Business'' (1999)
Filmography based on writings
* ''
The World According to Garp
''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man who is born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, then grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the N ...
'' (1982)
* ''
The Hotel New Hampshire
''The Hotel New Hampshire'' is a 1981 coming of age novel by American-Canadian writer John Irving, his fifth published novel.
Plot
This novel is the story of the Berrys, a quirky New Hampshire family composed of a married couple, Win and Mar ...
'' (1984)
* ''
Simon Birch
''Simon Birch'' is a 1998 American comedy-drama film loosely based on the 1989 novel '' A Prayer for Owen Meany'' by John Irving and written for the screen and directed by Mark Steven Johnson in his directorial debut. The film stars Ian Micha ...
'' (1998) (partly based on ''
A Prayer for Owen Meany
''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960 ...
'')
* ''
The Cider House Rules
''The Cider House Rules'' (1985) is a ''Bildungsroman'' by American writer John Irving that was later adapted into a 1999 film by Lasse Hallström and a stage play by Peter Parnell. Set in the pre– and post–World War II era, the story tel ...
'' (1999)
* ''
The Door in the Floor
''The Door in the Floor'' is a 2004 American drama film written and directed by Tod Williams. The screenplay is based on the first third of the 1998 novel '' A Widow for One Year'' by John Irving.
Plot
Set in an exclusive beach community on Lon ...
'' (2004) (based on ''
A Widow for One Year'')
Personal life
In 1964, Irving married Shyla Leary, whom he had met at
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...
in 1963 while taking a summer course in German, before traveling to Vienna with
IES Abroad. They have two sons, Colin and Brendan. The couple divorced in the early 1980s.
In 1987, he married Janet Turnbull, who had been his publisher at Bantam-Seal Books
and is now one of his literary agents. They have one daughter, actor and writer Eva Everett Irving.
Irving has homes in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
and
Pointe au Baril, Ontario.
On December 13, 2019, Irving became a Canadian citizen. He has said he plans to keep his U.S. citizenship, reserving the right to be outspoken about the United States and his dislike of
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
.
Irving was diagnosed with
prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...
in 2007 and subsequently had a
radical prostatectomy
Prostatectomy (from the Greek , "prostate" and , "excision") is the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. This operation is done for benign conditions that cause urinary retention, as well as for prostate cancer and for other ...
.
Irving is a second cousin of academic Amy Bishop, who was convicted of perpetrating the
2010 University of Alabama in Huntsville shooting
On February 12, 2010, three people were killed and three others wounded in a shooting at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) in Huntsville, Alabama, United States. During a routine meeting of the biology department attended by approxim ...
.
In 2018, Irving was an honorary degree recipient at
Williams College
Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim ...
.
Notes
References
Further reading
* Derbyshire, Jonathan
John Irving interviewed. ''
New Statesman
''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...
''.
*
* Sargent, Colin W.
Singular First Person. ''Portland Magazine'', May 2012.
* Shindler, Dorman T.. "John Irving Wrestles Fate". ''Book'', July/August 2001.
* Shindler, Dorman T.. "The Creative Crucible". ''Pages'', July/August 2005.
External links
*
Literary Encyclopedia
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irving, John
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