Last Night in Twisted River - The Library of the Uncommons

electronic resource

English language

Published Nov. 10, 2009 by Random House Publishing Group.

ISBN:: 978-1-58836-900-0

(1 review)

In 1954, in the cookhouse of a logging and sawmill settlement in northern New Hampshire, an anxious twelve-year-old boy mistakes the local constable's girlfriend for a bear. Both the twelve-year-old and his father become fugitives, forced to run from Coos County--to Boston, to southern Vermont, to Toronto--pursued by the implacable constable. Their lone protector is a fiercely libertarian logger, once a river driver, who befriends them.In a story spanning five decades, Last Night in Twisted River--John Irving's twelfth novel--depicts the recent half-century in the United States as "a living replica of Coos County, where lethal hatreds were generally permitted to run their course." From the novel's taut opening sentence--"The young Canadian, who could not have been more than fifteen, had hesitated too long"--to its elegiac final chapter, Last Night in Twisted River is written with the historical authenticity and emotional authority of The Cider House Rules and A Prayer for …

In 1954, in the cookhouse of a logging and sawmill settlement in northern New Hampshire, an anxious twelve-year-old boy mistakes the local constable's girlfriend for a bear. Both the twelve-year-old and his father become fugitives, forced to run from Coos County--to Boston, to southern Vermont, to Toronto--pursued by the implacable constable. Their lone protector is a fiercely libertarian logger, once a river driver, who befriends them.In a story spanning five decades, Last Night in Twisted River--John Irving's twelfth novel--depicts the recent half-century in the United States as "a living replica of Coos County, where lethal hatreds were generally permitted to run their course." From the novel's taut opening sentence--"The young Canadian, who could not have been more than fifteen, had hesitated too long"--to its elegiac final chapter, Last Night in Twisted River is written with the historical authenticity and emotional authority of The Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meany. It is also as violent and disturbing a story as John Irving's breakthrough bestseller, The World According to Garp.What further distinguishes Last Night in Twisted River is the author's unmistakable voice--the inimitable voice of an accomplished storyteller. Near the end of this moving novel, John Irving writes: "We don't always have a choice how we get to know one another. Sometimes, people fall into our lives cleanly--as if out of the sky, or as if there were a direct flight from Heaven to Earth--the same sudden way we lose people, who once seemed they would always be part of our lives."From the Hardcover edition.

3 editions

MaidMerry reviewed Last night in twisted river by John Irving

Review of 'Last night in twisted river' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

I read this book because I went to see John Irving when he was on his book tour, promoting this novel. I was so impressed with his discussion of his writing process. It made a lot of sense to me.

However, I should have known better, since I didn't enjoy other books of his much, and this was no exception. In fact, I enjoyed this one somewhat less. It seemed to go on and on, with very little point to it. The characters and situations weren't believable to me, or weren't made so. I don't mean that characters or situations have to be realistic--far from it--but the author needs to create that sense of verisimilitude, and I didn't feel that happened in this book.

The constant worry that one character had over a tragic event that he predicted, causing other characters to be on the run, changing their names, etc. …

I read this book because I went to see John Irving when he was on his book tour, promoting this novel. I was so impressed with his discussion of his writing process. It made a lot of sense to me.

However, I should have known better, since I didn't enjoy other books of his much, and this was no exception. In fact, I enjoyed this one somewhat less. It seemed to go on and on, with very little point to it. The characters and situations weren't believable to me, or weren't made so. I don't mean that characters or situations have to be realistic--far from it--but the author needs to create that sense of verisimilitude, and I didn't feel that happened in this book.

The constant worry that one character had over a tragic event that he predicted, causing other characters to be on the run, changing their names, etc. failed to create a sense of suspense in me, because there simply wasn't enough evidence provided that these characters were actually in danger.

Spoiler Alert

Even when this character's worry turned out to be justified, I didn't quite believe it, nor did I much care. I think there was just too much of having a character of questionable sanity constantly tell the reader about the danger, instead of showing the reader that this danger actually existed.

I also felt this book was in need of some serious editing. The whole 9-11 sideline, for instance, seemed thrown into the story without having anything at all to do with it.

And what's with the bears all the time? I guess it wouldn't be a John Irving book without a bear (real or imagined) in it, but I don't get it.

It's a shame. I find the author charming and interesting as a person and a speaker. I know many people who do enjoy his books, so perhaps the fault lies within me. I'm not an Irving fan, although I've tried to be, and this novel only reinforces that.