John Irving Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Picture Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

John Irving is a well known author and an Academy Award winning screenwriter from The United States who has written a number of novels based on the Literature & Fiction and Biographies & Memoirs genres. He was born on March 2, 1942 in New Hampshire, The United States. The first novel published by John Irving was the Setting Free Bears in the year 1968. His fourth novel won a National Award in the year 1980 and also went on to become an international bestseller. The novel was later made into a movie by George Roy Hill. The next novel written by John was also made into a movie which was written and directed by Tony Richardson in the year 1984. In all, Irving has written hundreds of novels, which have been translated into more than 35 foreign languages. He has successfully written nine international bestsellers. Most of the novels written by Irving have become classic and one of them has also been termed as ‘an American classic’ and is based on the Vietnam War showcasing and enduring friendship and the divisive effects of the Vietnam War on the people of the United States

Irving became a part of Hall of Fame of Wrestling in the year 1992 in Stillwater in Oklahoma. He wrestled for a period of 20 years and after that he became a coach till the age of 47. He won the Oscar Award in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for a film in the year 2000. The ninth novel written by Irving was adapted into a film, written and directed by Tod Williams in the year 2004. The 13th novel written by Irving was published in the year 2012. The novel was based on the emotions of desire, sexual identity and secrecy. It also shows some comic scenes with tormented sexual differences. The next novel written by Irving is considered to be the most political novel written by Irving after his initial novels and is a tribute to a group of theatre actors and characters. Irving was born as John Wallace Blunt in the year 1942 in Exeter and his mother changed his name to John Irving in the year 1948 after she remarried. John named his elder son after his stepfather as Colin Irving. Irving graduated from the Philips Exeter Academy in the year 1961. He used to wrestle at the Pittsburgh University and was the captain of his wrestling team. Later, he enrolled himself in European studies at a university in Austria. He holds a B. A degree from the New Hampshire University. He attended the Iowa University and earned his MFA.

Irving had the mentor in the name of Kurt Vonnegut at the Writers’ Workshop at the Iowa University. Before becoming a full-time author, Irving used to work as a teacher at a number of colleges. At first, he was a teacher in the same college where he studied, for three years in the Iowa City. After that, he also taught at Brandeis University and Mt. Holyoke College. Irving used to live on the eastern Long Island and in the New York City in the 1980s. He has also lived in various other regions like Toronto and southern Vermont since the year 1990. Irving has a wife in the name of Janet Turnbull Irving and has 3 sons and 4 grandchildren. Janet is a former Canadian publisher and is currently Irving’s literary agent in America. Dean Cooke is Irving’s agent in U.K and Canada. He was selected in an Arts and Letters Academy in America in the year 2001. He is represented internationally at ILA in London by Nicki Kennedy and has a film agent in the name of Robert Bookman in Los Angeles.

One of the initial novels written by Irving was titled ‘The World According to Garp’. It was published by the Ballantine Books in the year 1978. The book has won a national award in the year 1980 and was also nominated for a national award in the year 1979. The plot of the novel deals with the life of T.S. Garp, who is the bastard son of Jenny Fields. Jenn was a feminist leader of her time. The novel shows the life and death of a famous mother in the form of Jenny and her almost-famous son in the name of Garp. Their worlds are full of sexual extremes and assassinations. Even though the novel is full of sorrow and lunacy, it also depicts the elements of comedy along with the dark and violent events in the novel. The comedy elements are robust and ribald. The novel was translated into more than 30 languages across more than 40 countries. It became so popular and widely appreciated that it went on to sell more than 10 million copies all over the world. The novel provides hilarious and cheerful event of its famous last line: In the world of Garp, we are all terminal cases. It showcases the elements of compassion and comic story and helped author Irving to establish his career as a noteworthy author. It went on to become a bestseller internationally. The unique style of writing of the author Irving can be seen in the novel who has written stories inside stories in most parts of the novel.

One of the other novel written by John Irving was titled ‘The Cider House Rules’. The novel was published by the Thorndike Press publishing house in the year 1985 and is set in and around Maine, United States. The plot of the novel revolves around the main characters named Candy Kendall, Rose Rose, Dr. Wilbur Larch, Homer Wells and Wally Worthington. In the opening plot of the novel, Homer Wells is introduced as an orphan and has been raised in an orphanage since his birth. He has become a protege of Wilbur Larch, who is the director and physician of the orphanage. Dr. Larch helps the mothers in the orphanage who come to him for help He cares for them and helps them to deliver their babies or to abort them illegally. Homer has been trained by Wilbur Larch meticulously and assists him in his profession. Homer comes to about the reality of the outside world when a man brings his fiancee for abortion to Dr. Larch.