The Hotel New Hampshire

De: John Irving

Narrado por: Kirby Heyborne

The New York Times best-selling saga of a most unusual family from the award-winning author of The World According to Garp.

“The first of my father’s illusions was that bears could survive the life lived by human beings, and the second was that human beings could survive a life led in hotels.” So says John Berry, son of a hapless dreamer, brother to a cadre of eccentric siblings, and chronicler of the lives lived, the loves experienced, the deaths met, and the myriad strange and wonderful times encountered by the family Berry. Hoteliers, pet-bear owners, friends of Freud (the animal trainer and vaudevillian, that is), and playthings of mad fate, they “dream on” in a funny, sad, outrageous, and moving novel by the remarkable author of A Prayer for Owen Meany and Last Night in Twisted River.

©1981 John Irving (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A hectic, gaudy saga with the verve of a Marx Brothers movie.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“A startlingly original family saga that combines macabre humor with Dickensian sentiment.” (Time)

“Spellbinding . . . intensely human . . . a high-wire act of dazzling virtuosity.” (Cosmopolitan)

This one grows on you

As the story began, I didn’t find myself really relating to or enjoying any of the characters. But the drescription had all the signs of a novel I’d love so I pushed on. I believe this story feels the way the story itself goes. Much like growing up, it’s only as you mature and reflect on moments and people, that you realize the full nature and validity of them.
As this story came to a close I found myself loving each and every character and all the wild events that had brought us to where we were and boy am I glad I stuck through it in the beginning.
This story goes to and through so many different things, it’s quite beautiful how it all comes together.

There are literary works that can bring about strong emotions…

He may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Irving can depict characters and surroundings so realistically they take shape in your mind. Some readers form images so clearly they forget the characters are fictional and may take offense to their views and actions.
There are literary works that can bring about strong emotions that produce laughter, anxiety, and tears…and this is one of them. 💕

Great narration.Underwhelming Story.

Of course I saw the world according to Gar long ago before I even read the book. I thought I’d try. Maybe it was outrageous once. I can’t remember. I’m a boomer so we broke the mole on a whole lot of things. The story is about an outrageous family - no spoiler alert there. And it was pleasant, but I wasn’t captivated. I didn’t find it captivating, moving, inspiring and timeless (I recommend Bryce Courtenay novels for that) it was pleasant.

The deep weave of the story

I didn't dislike anything about this book. it's John Irving and he's terrific. The only book of his that disappointed me was chairlift, which as he knows, is too long.

Beautiful

One of my favorite books. Great reading. Hilarious, beautiful, and tragic. An incredible collection of characters.

Hmmm. Interesting

Lots of highs. A lot of dysfunction Unusual but not for John Irving Performed well.

Give me more

Thanks to the author and the narrator the book never had a dull moment such imagination

Strange Book

This was one of the weirdest books I’ve read. It goes from one bizarre episode to another. Rape, incest, a woman who lived as a bear, a gay man who slept with a manikin, the book is just strange, even more so than The World According to Garp. The reader is excellent, probably the reason I kept listening to the end.

Was zum Teifel ist mit dem Bear??

Excellent!! Almost a home run. It’s a most excellent adventure just like, Moby Dick. Where Everyone is nuts. It’s a teifel of a circus. The first half of this book will have you laughing out loud. You’ll come across as a crazy person listening via earphones in public. I did. But, I would fit in well as a guest at the hotel New Hampshire. To be honest when I saw this book in audibles' library. I thought John Irving had written a new book. It was 1:00am in the morning afterI had a few drinks that I came across the book. I quickly put it in my library. The next day, I realize this was Irving's 1980’s Hotel New Hemisphere. Which I have already read and seen the movie. I had forgotten how well this book is written. Like Garp and other Irving books, the metaphors run deep and its very philosophical. To be honest I’m not a literary person. I work in Science. That said, Irving develops these characters as if they actually exist. The narration is superb. I gave it four stars instead of five, because Irving wraps up all the characters lives abruptly at the end in an epilogue. He should have just written a longer book.

This is the second time I read the story

I liked it better the second time I read/ heard the story. The two readings were 25 years apart. My now more mature self found it much easier to comprehend and enjoy.