John Irving

Set in rural Maine in the first half of this century, it tells the story of Dr. Wilbur Larch--obstetrician and director of the orphanage in the town of St. Clouds. It is also the story of his favorite orphan, Homer, who is never adopted.

John Irving's novels have earned him immense popularity, and two have been made into major motion pictures. Now, after a long hiatus, he has released a novel filled with his trademark talent for spinning marvelously convoluted tales. Ruth Cole is four years old when she hears gasping sounds coming from her mother's room one night. Walking through their large house in the Hamptons, Ruth passes familiar photographs of two brothers who died before she...

A commemorative hardcover edition of the only collection ever published of the celebrated novelist's shorter works. Here is a treat for devoted fans of John Irving. First published twenty years ago, Trying to Save Piggy Sneed contains a dozen short works by the author, beginning with three memoirs. The longest of the memoirs is "The Imaginary Girlfriend," his candid account of his twin careers in writing and wrestling, which, as the Denver Post observed,...

The author's most political novel since The Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meany, this novel is an intimate and unforgettable portrait of the solitariness of a bisexual man who is dedicated to making himself "worthwhile."

"THERE is no more agreeable mode of passing a day, and thereby breaking in upon the tedium of a long summer's residence in Charleston, than taking advantage occasionally of the opportunity now afforded for a weekly excursion on Cooper River….."So begins this wonderful reminiscence of South Carolina plantation life, written by Charleston physician-and rice planter himself-John B. Irving. Originally published in 1842, this reads as beautifully today...

Homer Wells has lived nearly his entire life within the walls of St. Cloud's Orphanage in rural Maine. Though groomed by its proprietor, Dr. Larch, to be his successor, Homer feels the need to strike out on his own and experience the world outside. While working at an apple orchard, Homer falls for the beautiful Candy and learns some powerfully indelible lessons about life, love, and home.