Win(slow) Berry is a dreamer who is never content with life as it is.

He constantly desires to climb over the hill and discover what lies on the other side, firmly believing that it will always be better there.

His childhood was unhappy, being raised by a single father, Bob (Coach Bob), after his wife died giving birth to Win.

The dedicated football coach at the prep school in Dairy, New Hampshire, unimaginatively named the Dairy School, a second-rate institution for boys who had been thrown out of superior schools or couldn't get in them in the first place.

Win, an only child, was a lonely yet intelligent boy.

His life truly began in 1939 at a resort hotel, The Arbuthnot-by-the-Sea, in Maine, where he fell in love with Mary Bates, also from Dairy.

They had initially kept away from each other, with Mary attending Thompson Female Seminary and Win at the Dairy School.

Both were employees at the hotel during the summer.

There, they met Freud (not the famous psychoanalyst), an animal trainer with a bear act.

The 400 lbs. bear, State O' Maine, loved the motorcycle and would sit in the sidecar as Freud drove, scaring the timid and even doing a dance.

The young couple got engaged and became great friends with Freud, who encouraged their union.

Win went to Harvard but first bought the bear and the motorcycle from Freud, who unwisely returned to his native Austria.

The animal act with the bear, now named Earl by Win, was not the best.

It took him two long years to have enough money to get back to Harvard.

Children arrived quickly: Frank, Franny, John (the narrator), Lilly, and Egg.

The eccentric family was complete.

Later, the father told them stories that might not have been entirely true but were still fun to hear.

After serving safely in World War Two at an Air Base in Italy, Win returned home, graduated from Harvard, and got a job teaching English at the Dairy School.

He soon bought the closed Thompson Female Seminary, allowing girls into the Dairy School.

The dreamer started The Hotel New Hampshire, which had few customers in the crummy hotel.

The novel has various elements such as incest, rape, terrorists, midgets, whores, and tragedies, as well as comic situations like a girl in a bear suit.

Believe it or not, this is really a comedy.

If you enjoy novels that are different and maybe over the top from the norm, The Hotel New Hampshire will be for you.

**The Hotel New Hampshire: John Irving's Enigmatic Tale of Life**

The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving is a captivating and complex novel that weaves together elements of a fairy tale and the harsh realities of life. It tells the story of the Berry family, starting with Iowa Bob Berry, the football coach of Dairy Prep School in New Hampshire. His son, Win, is Harvard material, but faces the challenge of earning enough money for tuition.

The courtship of Win and Mary Bates has a certain fairy tale quality, as they meet and fall in love while working at a resort in Maine. However, as the story progresses, it becomes clear that Irving is following a darker path, similar to the Brothers Grimm. The Berry children face various hardships, including Frank being targeted for his homosexuality, Franny being raped, Lilly having a rare disorder, and Egg being nearly deaf.

The family's life takes another turn when Win sells the Hotel New Hampshire and they move to Vienna to help Freud improve his hotel. Here, they encounter a group of radicals who pose a dangerous threat. The novel is filled with unexpected twists and turns, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

Overall, The Hotel New Hampshire is a thought-provoking and engaging novel that explores themes of love, loss, and perseverance. Irving's writing is vivid and descriptive, bringing the characters and settings to life. While some may find the story disturbing or too dark, it is a powerful and memorable work that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

I'm currently engaged in the process of rereading John Irving novels, and I'm truly astonished by the profound impact they have on me now, a decade after my initial encounter.

As a teenager, I undeniably took pleasure in reading his works, but now that I consider myself to be more "mature," I find that I have a far deeper understanding of Irving's subtleties. What truly fills me with awe is Irving's status as a master planner. Every single turn of phrase, every seemingly insignificant incident, holds a profound meaning and has a significant impact on the unfolding of events further down the line.

His books are so beautifully and comprehensively crafted that they offer a sense of profound satisfaction. The Berry family and their diverse range of tragic and comic escapades may seem absurd at times, yet they are also touching and, in some strange way, entirely believable.

And I believe it's fair to assert that Irving is the finest "ending writer" I've ever come across. I recall reading somewhere that he typically writes the ending first and then fills in the remainder of the story from that point. This is a remarkable strategy that serves to prove just how thoughtful and meticulous a writer he is.

Here is the rewritten and expanded article:

sopii kategoriaan ”ap’n ja monjan suositukset”

This phrase seems to belong to the category of "tips and recommendations of a friend and a partner". It implies that there are some suggestions or pieces of advice that come from the perspective of a friend and a partner. These recommendations could be related to various aspects of life, such as relationships, work, or personal growth.

Perhaps a friend has some valuable insights on how to handle a difficult situation in a relationship, or a partner might have some practical tips on how to improve work efficiency. By sharing these suggestions, they are offering their support and trying to help each other navigate through life's challenges.

It is important to listen to the advice of friends and partners, as they often have our best interests at heart. However, we should also use our own judgment and decide which suggestions are right for us. After all, we are the ones who know ourselves best and are responsible for our own decisions.

In conclusion, the category of "tips and recommendations of a friend and a partner" can be a valuable source of information and support. By being open to their suggestions and using our own judgment, we can make better decisions and improve our lives.

This novel, which happens to be the very first one I've ever read by Irving, has left an extremely ambiguous mark on my soul.

I was powerfully drawn to the truly remarkable story-telling, which bore a striking resemblance to that of Dickens. Just like in Dickens' works, there was the intense and warm interaction among the main characters (nearly all of them being members of one family) and the sometimes highly dramatic events they had to face.

However, Irving is indeed a modern writer. The unconventional relationships between family members, the risky cross-border themes such as rape, incest, homosexuality, and so on, and the rather marginal environment of prostitutes or (clumsy) revolutionaries all contribute to a genuine end-of-the-twentieth-century feel. And then there is the typical Irving ingredient of absurd-hilarious characters and situations that would normally seem completely unbelievable but with Irving are just a natural part of the story. In a nutshell, Irving presents a cocktail that makes this novel "big", giving the reader the sense that he truly learns something about the absurdity, complexity, harshness, and tenderness of the world and of life. It's awesome.

But... in the last 100 pages, Irving went just a little bit too far for my taste. He made his cocktail just one fraction too intense. For example, in the episode regarding the revenge on rapist Chipper. And then there's the disappointing epilogue, with which I think Irving intended to give his novel a beautiful "Gatsby-like" ending. And that really wasn't necessary. So, although not flawless, this book definitely gave me the urge to read more by Irving.

Kaikki isäni hotellit is a vivid description of Berry's seven-member family and their pets. The story covers the family's life from the brink of World War II to the early 1980s.

Several hotels serve as the framework for the events, which the family owned according to the father's dream and where they lived. A very colorful crowd lived in the hotels. The children grew up among rooms, bears(?), dogs, and random travelers. The narrator is the middle child of the family, John.

All kinds of things happen in the family, from comical misadventures to horrible tragedies. Thematically, the book touches on adolescence and the awakening of sexuality, love, different sexual orientations, death, recovering from rape, short stature, adapting to a new culture, and Sigmund Freud.

In addition, Irving plants numerous references to other works, most notably F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1920s classic, The Great Gatsby.

The rhythm of the story is rather uneven. There are plenty of events, and many of them are dealt with in detail. A lot of the book revolves around sex, mostly in a rather carefree tone, but sometimes very realistically, even... pathologically.

Somehow it feels like Irving has stuffed too many themes and tropes into the work Kaikki isäni hotellit. Stylistically, the work is also sprawling, which is of course typical of Irving. Sometimes it's as if you're reading a comedy, then a deep drama, then a coming-of-age story for young people, and whoops... suddenly you slip almost into the realm of fantasy and then into tragedy. Just end it!!!

On the other hand, this is also the beauty of the book. As a reader, you really have no idea what will happen next or how this story will end. On a symbolic level, Irving has injected so many elements into the story that there is plenty for the eager reader to analyze and study for a long time. There are even two Sigmund Freuds in the book. Review that!

If you haven't read Irving yet, I firmly believe you should give him a try. This particular novel may not be among his "big three," but it is, without a doubt, an outstanding piece of work.

First off, most Irving novels possess several common characteristics. They typically feature a Dickensian plot, guiding you through significant portions of the characters' lives. The scope often spans one generation, but frequently, you'll encounter a few initial chapters detailing the lives of the protagonist's parents or grandparents as well.

Irving presents these lives through engaging storytelling. He aims for his readers to truly get to know his characters. In my judgment, I've never come across an Irving novel that didn't have superb character development. Characters from novels I read years ago still vividly spring to mind; they feel real, and I sense a deep connection with them. I have a genuine affection for them.

Irving rarely delves into the internalized thoughts and emotions of his characters. Instead, he offers insights into their personalities through their reactions, styles, comments, loves, hates, interactions, and overall preferences. He can achieve this because his descriptions and stories are incredibly detailed and true to our universal life experiences of dealing with and observing people. Irving allows these personalities to unfold naturally, trusting that the reader will gradually understand the core of the character as it gets revealed.

These characters are often eccentric, yet in a likable way. They have the ability to make you laugh. His protagonists are typically men who are easily relatable - flawed, but charming. Typically, the strong hero-like roles are filled by women with robust personalities - although this isn't always the case.

When Irving's diverse cast of characters interact, ironic, tragic, comical, over-the-top, and bizarre events occur. At the time, it doesn't seem far-fetched (at least not to an Irving fan), as the characters remain believable, and the events are simply extensions of their quirky personalities. After all, strange fates usually befall strange people, right?

There are numerous common themes that run through his novels, such as New England, Vienna, bears, prostitution, absent parents, the death of main characters, wrestling, sexual deviances, to name just a few.

Irving pushes the boundaries of the absurd. The reader needs to have an appreciation for the ridiculous and develop a level of trust with the author, as just about anything can happen. Additionally, having a hint of megalomania within doesn't hurt; especially when, at the end of the novel, you discover that some characters have become rock stars, famous writers, Hollywood actors/actresses, etc. Or perhaps they meet their demise... or something happens to a sex organ, or... you get the idea, don't you?

And lastly, John Irving novels address important subject matters like abortion, faith, rape, fidelity, sexuality, war, and the list goes on. Another reviewer wrote about this novel: "Once the novel jumps the shark, you realize Irving has all along been cruel and insensitive on every page of the book – on the subject of rape, on the idea of sibling sexual attraction, on the adoption of feminist concept, on political dissent, on prostitution, and on the lives of little people." I couldn't disagree more. Irving is remarkably even-handed and sensitive when it comes to these topics. In fact, he handles them with such humanity, delicacy, and skill that he's able to employ dark humor as a means of comforting the reader. Trust me: he never downplays important subject matters; he treats them the way great authors do: with consideration, compassion, and heart.

This brings me to the significant issue in this novel, which is rape. There's an early chapter that details a gang rape, and it's one of the most disturbing and soul-wrenching chapters I've ever read in my life, hands down. The effects of rape reverberate throughout the novel. It doesn't merely affect the victim but also the families and friends of the victim, and in various ways. In "The Cider House Rules," Irving personalized abortion for me, giving me a queasy feeling in the gut when confronted with the accounts of women who had to make that difficult choice before it was legal. In "The Hotel New Hampshire," Irving personalized the horror of rape in the same deeply disturbing way.

Some believe this book is too zany and unbelievable, even for Irving. With wild love triangles, incestuous romantic love, two bears, a Jewish performer named Freud, living in hotels, characters going blind, radicals, botched taxidermy, dwarfs, and numerous prostitutes. As mentioned earlier, for me, most of the odd misadventures involved are not unrealistic but rather natural manifestations of the novel's quirky yet realistic characters. All the wild happenings keep it entertaining. However, some of the scenes do seem out of place, as if they were inserted into the larger story in an unnatural manner.

The only other minor gripe I have is that Irving sometimes overdoes the storytelling. When he artfully and passionately engages in stories that relate to the novel's general themes, the novel thrives. But when it gets mired in detailed accounts of irrelevant side stories, it loses its momentum. This novel could have been 50 to 75 pages shorter and probably would have been better for it.

I only bring up these two issues to explain why I didn't award this novel five stars, despite my intense reaction to it and my love for it. It's still an excellent book, and you should definitely read it; or at least pick up an Irving novel if you haven't already. (I'll repeat it a third and fourth time if necessary.)

Ultimately, this novel is about acceptance and valuing the time you have on earth with those worthy of your love. It's remarkable how Irving makes this novel work, like an almost magical piece of artwork, where everything comes together to form a beautiful whole.

The Great Completist Challenge is an exciting endeavor where I embark on the journey of revisiting older authors and attempting to read every single book they have ever written.

Currently, in this challenge, I am exploring the works of various authors such as Isaac Asimov's Robot/Empire/Foundation series, Margaret Atwood, JG Ballard, Clive Barker, Christopher Buckley, Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Philip K Dick, Ian Fleming, William Gibson, Michel Houellebecq, John Irving, Kazuo Ishiguro, Shirley Jackson, John Le Carre, Bernard Malamud, Cormac McCarthy, China Mieville, Toni Morrison, VS Naipaul, Chuck Palahniuk, Tim Powers, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, Philip Roth, Neal Stephenson, Jim Thompson, John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, Jeanette Winterson, and PG Wodehouse.

John Irving's career is a fascinating one. After starting with three relatively unknown novels, he achieved literary superstardom with his fourth book, 1978's The World According to Garp. This clever metafictional tale explored the relationship between a New England author and his semi-autobiographical stories. The success of Garp was further enhanced by a high-profile movie adaptation starring Robin Williams.

Irving's follow-up, 1981's The Hotel New Hampshire, can be seen as a fully realized version of one of the novels Garp was described as writing. It touches on many of the same issues as Garp's "real" life, including rinky-dink circuses, performing bears, time in Vienna, an obsession with Viennese prostitutes, blue-collar intellectuals into sports, the aftermath of sexual assault, dysfunctional radical feminists, and a lot of death. However, when it first came out, it was met with disappointment as it lacked the Postmodernist element that made Garp so unique.

Over time, though, The Hotel New Hampshire has gained a new appreciation. It reads even more delightfully 38 years later, solidifying Irving's reputation for handling dark and light themes with skill. While it has its spotty moments, it is generally a great read for Irving completists or fans of Postmodernist literature. And for those who want to go the extra mile, there is also a Hollywood adaptation starring Rob Lowe, Jodie Foster, and a young Seth Green.

In this series, I am reviewing all of John Irving's books, including Setting Free the Bears (1968), The Water-Method Man (1972), The 158-Pound Marriage (1974), The World According to Garp (1978), The Hotel New Hampshire (1981), The Cider House Rules (1985), A Prayer for Owen Meany (1989), A Son of the Circus (1994), A Widow for One Year (1998), The Fourth Hand (2001), Until I Find You (2005), Last Night in Twisted River (2009), In One Person (2012), and Avenue of Mysteries (2015).

To describe the plotline of The Hotel New Hampshire to a questioning would-be reader is to embark on a journey that reveals a plot which, at its very core, might seem rather silly. Consider the elements: circus bears that add a touch of the absurd, run-down hotels that set a somewhat dilapidated backdrop, plane crashes that are almost comically improbable, midgets who bring an element of the unexpected, botched taxidermy that provides a strange and macabre detail, and obsessive weight-lifting that rounds out this eclectic mix. These are the ingredients that make up an Irving novel.

This was an undeniably fun read that I devoured with great speed. In fact, as soon as I finished it, I promptly picked up another Irving novel, A Widow for One Year. I just can't seem to get enough of his writing. It's almost a tragic thought that one day I will run out of Irving books and have to rely solely on the memories of the novels I've already read.

Irving does an exceptional job of crafting a story that revolves around the lives of children, yet manages to avoid being confined within the limitations of a children's book. The innocence of childhood is artfully blended with a healthy dose of sexual confusion, social angst, and slapstick comedy. This unique combination engages the reader in the concerns of this young family as they navigate through life, grow, and strive to find their fortune (or at the very least, their means of subsistence) in the hotel industry.

What can I say? I'm truly a sucker for Irving. His works possess a unique charm that is simply irresistible.

Laugh-out-loud funny, yet at the same time, fatalistic and gritty, they also have a fairy tale-esque quality that can be quite enchanting. And let's not forget the macabre elements that add an extra layer of intrigue.

If you've never been exposed to his storytelling before, I would highly recommend reading one of Irving's "Big Three" - Owen Meany, Garp, or Cider House Rules - prior to delving into this particular work.

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to Monica for the wonderful Valentine's Day gift. It was such a thoughtful gesture and has given me the opportunity to explore Irving's world once again.

Overall, Irving's writing is a joy to experience, and I can't wait to see what else he has in store for us.

I’m generally not a huge fan of episodic novels. However, in this particular case, although the novel does utilize episodic storytelling, the cumulative impact of those individual stories is more potent than is typically the case.

Ultimately, the novel presents a gratifyingly rich portrayal of a quirky yet endearing family of oddballs, spanning over the course of several decades.

It has been some time since I read "The World According to Garp," but I seem to remember having similar sentiments about that one. Perhaps this is simply Irving’s forte. Nevertheless, I haven’t read a sufficient number of his works to make any sweeping generalizations.

Either way, I relish his writing. He has an outstanding talent for description, and I adore his idiosyncratic sense of humor. I’m delighted that I still have several of his novels yet to explore.

I find his books captivating, even if I might not place him on my list of all-time favorite authors. While I don't always relish every facet of his novels, they do manage to maintain my interest throughout. Generally, I can depend on him to present richly developed characters and fulfilling conclusions, both in the overall narrative and for each of the novel's episodes.

For me, this work actually deserves four and a half stars.

However, I deducted half a star because the incest factor really freaked me out. It was a rather disturbing element that couldn't be ignored.

Moreover, I have to admit that it's not as good as "Garp". "Garp" had its own unique charm and depth that this work couldn't quite match.

But then again, I'm not entirely sure if there's anything that could truly surpass "Garp". It holds a special place in my literary heart.

Perhaps it's the combination of its engaging story, well-developed characters, and the author's masterful writing that makes it so unforgettable.

Nonetheless, this work still has its own merits and is definitely worth reading.

It just didn't quite reach the same heights as "Garp" in my opinion.

Overall, it's a solid piece of literature with its own strengths and weaknesses.