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Last Night in Twisted River: A Novel Audiobook
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Publisher Description
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.”
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"I always like John Irving's books in the end, in spite of the challenges they sometimes hold. In this case, the first challenge was plowing through more description of the logging industry in the 1950s than I ever wanted. Then, although the sections were titled with years, the action jumped around chronologically. In spite of this, the story was engaging because the question in the background was always "When will the past catch up with Dominic and Daniel?" And even more important was the unforgettable woodsman, Ketchum, and his devotion to keeping them safe."
— Nancy (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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Selected for the November 2009 Indie Next List
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A USA Today bestseller
Last Night in Twisted River Listener Reviews
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" HATED IT...I read it halfway and had to stop because it was horrible. "
— Kristina, 2/17/2014 -
" Took a while to get into and I was fairly prepared to get irritated at the whole "writer writing about being a writer" thing which can get pretty self-indulgent at times. Then, however, I realised that I was really enjoying the story and the characters (esp Ketchum) so 5 stars from me! "
— Mariana, 2/13/2014 -
" Like many FB readers, I am a John Irving fan. Years ago I read Hotel New Hampshire and The World According to Garp. So after a long hiatus, I had to read his latest novel, Last Night in Twisted River. The problem for me was the repeated Yankee wierdo themes in his earlier books. Funny then, no so funny now!...and he has an annoying habit of ending paragraphs with long parenthesis. (make a footnote, already!). But, still entertaining in his old age! "
— salinthebay, 2/7/2014 -
" This book would make a great movie! Wonderful characters! "
— Nora, 2/4/2014 -
" This is a classic John Irving novel, replete with almost three lifetimes of memorable characters and universal themes, from friendship to loss to the nature of fact and fiction. For food lovers, it also packs some tasty surprises. Highly recommended. "
— Adina, 1/29/2014 -
" Enjoyed this. Unlike some reviews I really enjoyed the ending. Reminded me of a Charlie Kaufman movie. I did think the book was took long and there wasn't enough investment in the relationship with the son. "
— Will, 1/27/2014 -
" I used to love the twists, turns and coincidences associated with John Irving's novels, and still do when he's done it well. This one falls short of the mark for me; I came away feeling it was far too contrived and lacked the feeling that's engendered for the characters in his better works. "
— Anne, 1/26/2014 -
" Skimmed heavily. Boring, total snoozer. "
— Breana, 1/19/2014 -
" Like Irving so often is, this twists as much as the river, but through it all, his themes and characters are true to themselves. Deadly humor as always. "
— Judith, 1/5/2014 -
" It's been a while since I read an Irving novel. I liked this one which seemed very self-referential. How modern. "
— Aramis, 12/7/2013 -
" I recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of John Irving ....in addition to his usual quirkiness, I felt like I got some insight into his writing process, which fascinates me:) "
— Debra, 11/25/2013 -
" A compelling read, but I was struck by the awful sense of dread that pervades the whole story. You just know, based on what has already happened, that the next awful thing that occurs to you will, of course, happen. And it does. "
— J., 11/20/2013 -
" 3.5-Incredibly impressed by the storytelling and his abilities as a writer. I did feel it dragged at times though, but the parts that were good were really good. Def plan to read some of his other work soon. "
— Rosanne, 5/30/2013 -
" I have put this book down twice and read something else. I hope it is just that my mood isn't right for it...but without a doubt I will have to begin over if I ever decide to finish it. "
— Sara, 7/4/2012 -
" I would have to say this is the dullest of John Irvine's books that I've read. Towards the end I started to skim the novel. A lot of repetition and going over old ground. I really wouldn't recommend it. "
— Tricia, 6/12/2012 -
" This is old style Irving. I loved it. "
— Janet, 12/19/2011 -
" Hmmmm...Hard read for me, but ended up very satisfying. Kind of want to go back and reread some passages. "
— Mellissa, 10/27/2011 -
" I love some, but not all, John Irving novels. This was a keeper. Not goofy like some of his others. My favorite aspect of this novel is that the main character is an author in the style of John Irving. Much of what he writes about can be found in other Irving novels. "
— Leslie, 10/11/2011 -
" Slow going, but very enjoyable. "
— J, 8/24/2011 -
" Engrossing. Loved the rich characters and varied locations. "
— Denise, 8/15/2011 -
" For me, none of John Irving's latest books have compared to The World According to Garp or A Prayer for Owen Meany. I just never became as attached to the characters. That being said, this was entertaining, if lengthy and a little bit drawn out. "
— Jessica, 7/26/2011 -
" Wonderful. As good as "Cider House Rules" and "A Prayer for Owen Meany." "
— Al, 6/2/2011 -
" I try to like John Irving but, unfortunately, he is not for me. "
— Marie, 5/17/2011 -
" John Irving is one of my favorite authors and sections of this novel are probably as good as his best. As other Goodreads reviewers have pointed out, however, about 1/3 of this book is very tedious. "
— Dennis, 5/13/2011 -
" Derivative of other works (bears, boy's school, writer main character, New Hampshire, destiny set out at beginning and fulfilled at end), not convincingly Italian or cooks, didn't draw me in to 3 generational story. "
— Laura, 5/10/2011 -
" Read everything by John Irving from World According to Garp to Last Night in Twisted River. Always totally absorbed in his writing. Read John Irving starting with "Garp" the earlier books. "
— Fred, 5/7/2011 -
" Although at some points the book seems to go on & on I really enjoyed it. I even think I liked it better then " A Prayer For Owen Meanie "sp? Very good read. "
— Debbie, 4/25/2011 -
" Because I can't help myself when it comes to John Irving, and because I loved this book so intensely -- in my opinion, Irving's best. "
— Jeannette, 4/18/2011 -
" My favorite author. A good, solid effort - I wish I could give 3 1/2 stars! I love how you can really get lost in his novels and you always get to revisit the themes of wrestling, bears, and teaching at a small college in New England. "
— Rachel, 4/10/2011
About John Irving
John Irving has been nominated for a National Book Award three times—winning once, in 1980, for the novel The World According to Garp, which became an international bestseller. In 1992, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2000, he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules. In 2001, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His novels have been translated into thirty-five languages.
About Arthur Morey
Arthur Morey has won three AudioFile Magazine “Best Of” Awards, and his work has garnered numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed him as a finalist for two Audie Awards. He has acted in a number of productions, both off Broadway in New York and off Loop in Chicago. He graduated from Harvard and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. He has won awards for his fiction and drama, worked as an editor with several book publishers, and taught literature and writing at Northwestern University. His plays and songs have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Milan, where he has also performed.