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Summary: Irving at his best
Review: Guess where the plot is based. In Vienna! And in New England, another region of action for his books. We also have a grandfather from Iowa, a retired wrestling coach. Irving is himself a wrestling coach from New England, who visited Vienna in his youth. But this should not drive you to think that either Irving writes an autobiography or that his books are repetitive. In fact, far from both. His books are linked, but who said that it is a disadvantage? "Hotel" is his most comedian book. Very funny, with change of pace right in the middle. A story of the family with futuristic father, living in the clouds. There was a movie with Jodie Foster and Nastassja Kinsky. Yummy!
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Summary: Hope Floats!
Review: Hotel is one of those books you come across once every five years, where the stories, characters, jokes, and yes, the famous Irving one-liners, stay with you for the rest of your life. Endearing, bittersweet, and hilarious--I can't recommend it highly enough!
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Summary: Cold
Review: John Irving can be a very annoying writer, that's probably one of the reason's I've read 5 of his books so far, none which are as cold as this one. You see I like bizarre non-conformist stories, but The Hotel New Hampshire treats it charcters as cartoon characters. Rapes, deaths at sea and other tragedies are treated as trivial. I mean Mom and Egg die in a plane accident never to be heard from again in life or in the book. I am not suggesting Irving should have plunged into melodrama, there would be nothing worse than that,but the extreme aloofness of these characters made them at first unreal and then finally pathetic.For a more emotional and rewarding but less funny (yes this book is funny at the expense of its characters) read The Cider House Rules.
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Summary: AN INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT
Review: First of all, I would like to express my outrage at the reader who was disappointed that Irving's books are formulaic. Sure, he does reiterate himself somewhat in his novels, but what author doesn't? The "one-liners" that emerge from the stories will stay with me for the rest of my life. Especially that wonderful line from The Hotel New Hampshire, "Keep Passing the Open Windows." I have read all of Irving's works, and although I hold a great deal of admiration for each one, The Hotel New Hampshire is definitely my favorite. Irving simply developed his characters better in this book than any of his others. The story in this book- though obviously borrowing some of the antidotes in Garp- is original and amusing. The best thing about this book is that it is funny. Sure, all of his books are, BUT this is the funniest. My only critique is that Irving did not develop Lilly as much as he could have. Regardless, I loved this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone in need of a good laugh and a wonderful story.
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Summary: Made believable by Irving's talent
Review: John Irving's undoubtedly weird characters are often so wonderfully described that they make you feel for them whether you want to or not. "The Hotel New Hampshire" is the story of five siblings; two of them having an incestous relationship, one of them a midget, one of them dressing up all the time for no apparent reason, one of them extremely special in other ways. Yet they are made believable. And yet their story will fascinate you; leave you awake at night wondering about them; make you think. And move you very much. Somehow this very special and improbable story appears very realistic, and very interesting too. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Things pretty much the same in John Irving's world
Review: It is a competent, interesting book but not much more than that. After reading Hotel, Garp, Bears, and Meany; I have noticed they all tread similar ground. There is the mostly ineffectual narrator, there are the characters who thrive because of the quirks & fallacies not in spite of them, there are the same catchphrases repeated over and over, there is the continued fascination and reliance on Vienna as a plot device. Don't get me wrong, Hotel is an OK book. Some good observations are made like "we pick up our Chipper Dove's only to put them back down again" or Lilly's euphimism for writing. Irving also probably uses foreshadowing better than any other writer. But I felt after Garp & Bears, this is the 3rd time I have basically read the same story. Owen Meany diminutive frame still towers over the rest of Irving's works.
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Summary: Excellent - vintage Irving!
Review: No, it's not "Owen Meany." It's an outstanding book in its own right. The characters in this story have stayed with me a long, long time.
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Summary: Read for my adoration of Fiona Apple, not what i expected
Review: I was not sure what to expect going into this novel. Its one of Fiona's fav. books so i picked it up and dove in. 2 days later i emerged an inhabitant of many hotels and scarred from many family tradgedies. Overly dramatic in some parts (reality isn't always necessary) but the emotions and the characters were quite real in their own querky way
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Summary: Really Substandard Irving
Review: I totally agree with Melanie D. about this book, but disagree about OWEN MEANY --- really, really dull. Give me GARP any day !
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Summary: This "Hotel" is only MOTEL-level writing!!
Review: John Irving is normally like a stay at The Ritz for readers, however, THE HOTEL NEW HAMPSHIRE is like checking in to the Holiday Inn for this book's duration. Like the Holiday Inn, this book is basically satisfying -- but only in a disappointing way. It is only adequate at fulfilling the needs and desires of readers. What happened, John? Perhaps coming off the tail of GARP, your creative genius was momentarily locked up in the hotel safe. This book did not engage me or move me at all like GARP or OWEN MEANY. To be certain, the writing is still leagues beyond most of what passes for fiction these days, but I couldn't really connect with the narrator on a heartfelt emotional level like I did in the two previously mentioned novels. (Maybe the incestuous longings were too creepy and alienating for me.) Most of the characters were TOO extreme and bizarre. I did find Lilly compelling -- and I did have sympathy for Franny -- and I did appreciate many scenes and passages -- BUT this is definitely mediocre Irving. If you haven't yet, read THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP and A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY to see what truly great and memorable writing is all about! They're inspired and inspiring; comic and tragic; heartfelt and heartbreaking. P.S. I looked up the movie in my video guide after I read the book. Proof that Hollywood is NUTS! Of all the actors in the world, why Rob Lowe to play John?!?! And why Nastassia Kinski to play Susie??? Did nobody read the book? Susie is described over and over as being very unattractive -- she even calls herself "ugly" until John "convinces" her otherwise. Sure! Hire one of the most beautiful actresses to play this part -- makes sense to me!!!!!!
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