John Irving - The Fourth Hand: A Novel

Pros: Irving's usual loopy, obsessive characters; marvelously silly.
Cons: Irving's obsession with mutilation; no connection with the characters.

The author photo of John Irving on the book jacket of The Fourth Hand shows an impish grin, a sly twinkle that seems lodged permanently in his deepset eyes. Irving gazes up and to his right, presumably communing with his muse. Based on his past...

Pros: Great characters and an interesting plot construct...
Cons: ...but a little long-winded and sometimes fails to hold the reader's attention.

John Irving returns to a sublime Garp-like world in The Fourth Hand and creates one of his most memorable quirky characters in Patrick Wallingford. The combination, along with a cast of eccentric supporting characters, combines in a strangely ...

Pros: Irving's writing skills
Cons: Weak characters. Substandard Irving

I am a huge John Irving fan. I have read most of his work and have always enjoyed his incredibly dark sense of humor, his fascination with death, and his mastery of the English language. Many people dislike him for the same reasons. When I received...

Pros: Our current society as seen by author; Comedy and laughter
Cons: Plot and too many subplots

I will just admit that I am a sucker for a good laugh when I am reading a book. Very few authors will make me laugh. John Irving has managed not only to shock me, but also to make me smile and laugh. As I think more about the reasons of my laughter,...

Pros: Hey, it's John Irving.
Cons: It's a hard book to get emotionally involved in, unlikeable characters

Coming across The Fourth Hand was like coming across an old friend you haven't seen in many years. Unfortunately, sometimes when you meet with that old friend, you find out that they're not quite the same. They don't seem quite as interesting or...

Pros: Like all the Irving books I've read, it's quirky but good.
Cons: You'll wish the book was longer than it is.

The Fourth Hand is John Irving's tenth novel. If you liked the World of Garp, The Cider Rules and/or Hotel New Hampshire, then you'll want to get your hands on this novel.

Irving's inspiration for this novel came from a new item about a hand...

Pros: A typically weird Irving story.
Cons: Not Irving at his best.

I think I've finally figured out why John Irving's The Fourth Hand was a bit of a letdown for me.

You never really get to know or care about the people in this story. I mean, sure, you find out all sorts of stuff about what happens to...

Pros: A new novel from John Irving.
Cons: it's not his best work.

A couple of months ago, I came across an article in the newspaper that mentioned John Irving would have a new novel out by this summer. I was quite happy to hear this, because I have been anxiously awaiting one since finishing A Widow for One...

Pros: Irving is a master.
Cons: Who's taking a nap here.

THE FOURTH HAND is John Irving floating on his back. His trademark style of prose has mellowed in recent years, and it rocks you gently along through this warmhearted story. And while Irving’s ease with the written word is always enjoyable, that...

Pros: Humorous and witty dialogue; Irving is a master storyteller.
Cons: The hero seems, at least initially, unlikeable

Shallow and incredibly handsome, TV newscaster Patrick Wallingford becomes a man recognized the world over for his his on-air personal tragedy, the loss of his hand. Through a series of incredible events he meets a woman who will force him to grow up,...

Pros: Irving is a master, strange story and quick read.
Cons: Could be too strange for some new and old Irving readers.

I began reading John Irving when I was 13 and he continues to be my favorite author at 22. He has created more greatest with such apparent ease. His words are so simple, yet they make more of an impact than any classic literature I have ever read....

Pros: Sometimes amusing in a pathetic way
Cons: Continues relentlessly like a boy constructing a long lie to cover a small error.

Terrible, overly contrived, unsympathetic characters, where pages are connected only by a hollow plot and the numbers at the bottom of the page.

Save yourself time and money buy buying anything else but this book.