The Irresistible Henry House

A Novel

By: Lisa Grunwald

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

Length: 15 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

It is the middle of the 20th century, and in a home economics program at a prominent university, real babies are being used to teach mothering skills to young women. For a young man raised in these unlikely circumstances, finding real love and learning to trust will prove to be the work of a lifetime. In this captivating novel, bestselling author Lisa Grunwald gives us the sweeping tale of an irresistible hero and the many women who love him.

From his earliest days as a practice baby through his adult adventures in 1960s New York City, Disney's Burbank studios, and the delirious world of the Beatles London, Henry remains handsome, charming, universally adored and never entirely accessible to the many women he conquers but can never entirely trust.

Filled with unforgettable characters, settings, and action, The Irresistible Henry House portrays the cultural tumult of the mid-20th century even as it explores the inner tumult of a young man trying to transcend a damaged childhood. For it is not until Henry House comes face-to-face with the real truths of his past that he finds a chance for real love.

©2010 Lisa Grunwald (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Like T.S. Garp, Forrest Gump or Benjamin Button, Henry House, the hero of Grunwald’s imaginative take on a little known aspect of American academic life, has an unusual upbringing....Grunwald nails the era just as she ingeniously uses Henry and the women in his life to illuminate the heady rush of sexual freedom (and confusion) that signified mid-century life." (Publishers Weekly)

"Irresistible." (Kathleen Daly, Newark Star-Ledger)

"The Irresistible Henry House is a soaring, heartfelt novel that spans three decades and an entire continent. Grunwald, author of several novels including Whatever Makes You Happy, creates a wholly original and all too human character in Henry House. Despite his quirks and shortcomings (or perhaps because of them), Henry is one of the most likeable, relatable characters in recent memory." (Amy Scribner, BookPage)

Decent audio read

I love Grunwald's story structure, marrying Henry's life with historic and cultural moments, including society's movement away from the very mindset that was the basis for his early life. Unfortunately, I didn't fully feel invested in the main character's development; I worry the author was so intent on making Henry seem understandably detached from others that she protected his inner self (and, therefore, most interesting emotions) even from her readers. The audiobook narrator seems to me an intriguing mix between Casey Kasem and David McCullough, which lends to the story an appropriate blend of romance, whimsy and relevance but in its own way contributes to the emotional stiffness. I am glad I listened, even if I wish the main character were a little more accessible to the reader/listener.

Funny and Smart

Wonderful book for anyone interested in child development. Funny & smart.

Postively irresistable

I found The Irresistible Henry House to be a wonderful read. The concept was new to me and the main characters, although not very sympathetic were well constructed.

The period covered in the book, 40s to 60s, I could identify with so perhaps that is why I enjoyed the book so much.

Henry House and his many mothers in the early part of the book were fun. Oliver Wyman did a fantastic job with the narration.

I would recommend this book.

A glimpse of the 50's and 60s

This book caught my imagination and carried through with great humor, wonderful visuals of the era of 50's and 60's and compelling characters. The story line was interesting, too. I was thoroughly entertained.

Oh Henry

A fun read. Not the kind of story that will stay with me forever, but I was very entertained.

Henry is Irresistible!

I really enjoyed Henry House and was intrigued by its premise. It is a well written, entertaining story of attachments, decisions and how we grow from them (or don't grow!) I enjoyed rollicking into the 60s with Henry. I can't think of the last time I got choked up at the end of a book.

Good in parts

What did you like best about The Irresistible Henry House? What did you like least?

My favorite parts were the very beginning about the practice house and the parts about Disney,my least favorite parts where all the drug scenes of the 1960s.

What was most disappointing about Lisa Grunwald’s story?

It went on way way way too long!

Have you listened to any of Oliver Wyman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No never heard this narrator before

Do you think The Irresistible Henry House needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No please no follow-up book this one went on long enough for two books.

Any additional comments?

No

Not my normal cup of tea

Would you listen to The Irresistible Henry House again? Why?

No - I enjoyed it the first time but it's not as if I feel I would gain better insight the next time. I felt the story was easy to follow and so lended itself well to an audio book.

Would you be willing to try another book from Lisa Grunwald? Why or why not?

Yes - as a departure from my sci-fi reading this book was a nice change of pace.

Have you listened to any of Oliver Wyman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've never listened to Oliver Whyman before but I enjoyed his characterizations.

Wish the Note from Author was included

This is an interesting story, well told. I listened to the Audible version and read the physical book. I am grateful I had the physical book because the Note from Author at the end made it all even better, sharing how the novel began with an actual photo of a real “practice baby”. I realize Audible could not include a photo but have listened to other Audible books that did include an Author’s Note. These are often such great insights and appreciated by this reader.

Great start, ho-hum finish

Based on the first half hour of this book, I thought I would love this story. The main idea is based on a bit of history (there were, in fact, "practice babies" used by home economics programs) and runs along beautifully until the main character, Henry, starts to move toward his teens. At this point, the author seems to get bored with her original storyline, and instead crafts Henry into someone rather drab, predictable, and unlikable. To me, the character felt inconsistent from his early descriptions and lacked growth throughout. Despite this flaw, I did enjoy the author's use of historical events throughout the tale (somewhat reminiscent of Forrest Gump), and especially the foray into the inner workings of Disney in the 60s. The reader did a great job with what he had to work with, and the pace and intonation were well done.

Five stars for the beginning, dragged down to three by a lack of good character development midway through to the end. I felt like the author lost her passion for this story somewhere along the way, and made up for it with an over-focus on historical events. Not a bad listen, but there are definitely better options out there.