Last Night in Twisted River

A Novel

By: John Irving

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1954, in the cookhouse of a logging and sawmill settlement in northern New Hampshire, an anxious twelve-year-old boy mistakes the local constable’s girlfriend for a bear. Both the twelve-year-old and his father become fugitives, forced to run from Coos County–to Boston, to southern Vermont, to Toronto–pursued by the implacable constable. Their lone protector is a fiercely libertarian logger, once a river driver, who befriends them.

In a story spanning five decades, Last Night in Twisted River–John Irving’s twelfth novel–depicts the recent half-century in the United States as “a living replica of Coos County, where lethal hatreds were generally permitted to run their course.” From the novel’s taut opening sentence–“The young Canadian, who could not have been more than fifteen, had hesitated too long”–to its elegiac final chapter, Last Night in Twisted River is written with the historical authenticity and emotional authority of The Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meany. It is also as violent and disturbing a story as John Irving’s breakthrough bestseller, The World According to Garp.

What further distinguishes Last Night in Twisted River is the author’s unmistakable voice–the inimitable voice of an accomplished storyteller. Near the end of this moving novel, John Irving writes: “We don’t always have a choice how we get to know one another. Sometimes, people fall into our lives cleanly–as if out of the sky, or as if there were a direct flight from Heaven to Earth–the same sudden way we lose people, who once seemed they would always be part of our lives.”

©2009 John Irving (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

"Absolutely unmissable . . . [A] big-hearted, brilliantly written and superbly realized intergenerational tale of a father and son.”—Financial Times

“Engrossing . . . Irving’s sentences and paragraphs are assembled with the skill and attention to detail of a master craftsman creating a dazzling piece of jewelry from hundreds of tiny, bright stones.”—Houston Chronicle

“There’s plenty of evidence in Irving’s agility as a writer in Last Night in Twisted River. . . . some of the comic moments are among the most memorable that Irving has written.”—New York Times

Long, drawn out story but masterfully written!

John Irving’s writing is incredible. So colorful, imaginative & clearly seen. With the superb narration of Arthur Morey, this book would be 5 stars for me if it just hadn’t been a little drawn out - not that it was boring, but just not enough “story/action” for it to be this long.

Great story

Read and heard it several times. It catches me every time. Irving is definitely my favorite author.

John Irving does it again, and again, and again...

If you could sum up Last Night in Twisted River in three words, what would they be?

Garp's story revisited.

What did you like best about this story?

Character development is great.

Which scene was your favorite?

This is a spoiler section - the scene where Danny thinks he is going to whack a bear with a skillet but it turns out it ain't a bear at all.

Who was the most memorable character of Last Night in Twisted River and why?

Ketchum - the logger that is very rough around the edges

Long time reader

Nice to find some of the old with the new. sweet people to meet here.

Irving at his best

terrific cast of characters, well weaved story, I know when a book is good if I feel a pang of sadness at the end, not because of the emotion of the story but because I will miss the people

Great book

I really enjoyed this novel, plot and narration as well. It was very in-depth but left me with a good feeling at the end.

Never disappointed

I have never been disappointed in any John Irving work, and this was no exception.

How does the weaver know?

Irving can tell me about nothing and have me on the edge of my seat.

Masterfully woven story

A usual, John Irving creats a cast of characters you just can't help but yearn to learn more about. His expert story telling shines once again in this novel. A must read for any Irving fan and for those who enjoy character driven stories.

Wonderful

As usual, Irving is an incredible storyteller. I've been a fan and will remain a fan. He is an incredible author. Morey tells the tale very well.