John Irving
The Last Chairlift by John Irving review – an outlandish family epic
Unconventional characters, uncertain paternity issues: Irving’s 15th novel retreads familiar ground, but is overlong and poorly edited
Edward Docx
19, Oct, 2022 @8:00 AM
Top 10 books about platonic friendships | Nikita Lalwani
From Doris Lessing to Dickens and John Irving, these tales show how passionate, intense and vital ‘just’ friendships can be
Nikita Lalwani
07, Jul, 2021 @9:00 AM
Lionel Shriver v Cynthia Ozick: hurrah for the new literary beef
The books world was growing worryingly well-mannered, but Ozick’s response – in verse – to a bad review by Shriver has revived the fine art of feuding
Alison Flood
18, May, 2021 @3:03 PM
Top 10 unlikely romantic heroes in fiction
From the disgusting appeal of Christian Grey to the neglected charms of Shakespeare’s Don Pedro, Jenny Colgan picks her favourite difficult dreamboats
Jenny Colgan
24, May, 2017 @9:12 AM
Top 10 books about adopted children
A profound human experience – and also a brilliant plot device – adoption has inspired endless stories, from Shakespeare to Jeanette Winterson
Kate Hamer
01, Mar, 2017 @1:00 PM
John Irving attacks 'intolerant' Trump in defence of political awards speeches
Writer of The Cider House Rules laments new president’s threat to LGBT and abortion rights, and says winners at next weekend’s Oscars should be free to protest
Andrew Pulver
20, Feb, 2017 @6:28 PM
John Irving on Donald Trump, Caitlyn Jenner – and the right way to wrestle an angry bear
At 73, John Irving has lost none of his fighting spirit. The writer and ex-wrestler lets rip at Trump, US politics, Caitlyn Jenner’s critics – and the ‘extreme patriotism’ of the Great American Novel. Then he throws our interviewer to the floor
Stephen Smith
03, Feb, 2016 @6:02 PM
Book reviews roundup: First Bite; Avenue of Mysteries; The Prose Factory
What the critics thought of Bee Wilson’s First Bite: How We Learn to Eat, Avenue of Mysteries by John Irving and DJ Taylor’s The Prose Factory
15, Jan, 2016 @6:00 PM
Avenue of Mysteries by John Irving review – portrait of the artist as a spoilt adolescent
A dislikable protagonist makes John Irving’s latest magic-realist pilgrimage a struggle for the reader
Hannah Beckerman
10, Jan, 2016 @8:30 AM
Avenue of Mysteries by John Irving review – dreaming the past into life
A picaresque tale about ageing and adventure, moving from Mexico to the Philippines, tackles the big questions with gusto and charm
Alex Clark
05, Jan, 2016 @7:29 AM
Fiction highlights for 2016
A host of strong debuts plus new novels from Don DeLillo, Julian Barnes, Geoff Dyer and Nicola Barker promise a strong year for fiction
Alex Preston
03, Jan, 2016 @12:00 PM
The top 10 hotel novels
From Robert Bloch's Psycho to Chekhov's Lady With the Dog, Mark Watson explores the magnetism of hotels for novelists
Mark Watson
13, Aug, 2014 @12:30 PM
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