The Hotel New HampshireThe Hotel New Hampshire
Score Classic
What it's about
The Berry family is led by Win, a dreamer who keeps buying hotels: one in a former girls' school in New Hampshire, one in Vienna among radicals and prostitutes, and another back home. John, the middle son, tells their story, with his brilliant sister Franny, his bitter brother Frank, their tiny sister Lilly, a bear, a stuffed dog named Sorrow, and a series of tragedies.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and was a National Book Award finalist. It's Irving at his most outrageous: funny, sad and strange.
You'll love it if you liked
The Cider House Rules
A Prayer for Owen Meany
White TeethGood to know
It includes gang rape, incest between siblings, and sudden deaths. Some readers find it too much.
By the numbers
- Readers31 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller58 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #195 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #469 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1637 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
More by John Irving
A Prayer for Owen Meany
The World According to GarpThe Cider House Rules
A Widow for One YearIf you like this, read next
The Color Purple
The Caine Mutiny
East of Eden
I, Claudius
A Room of One's Own
Angle of ReposeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Hotel New Hampshire worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and was a National Book Award finalist. It ranks #1,637 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Hotel New Hampshire about?
The Berry family is led by Win, a dreamer who keeps buying hotels: one in a former girls' school in New Hampshire, one in Vienna among radicals and prostitutes, and another back home. John, the middle son, tells their story, with his brilliant sister Franny, his bitter brother Frank, their tiny sister Lilly, a bear, a stuffed dog named Sorrow, and a series of tragedies.
How long does it take to read The Hotel New Hampshire?
About 13 hours (520 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Hotel New Hampshire?
If you liked it, try The Cider House Rules by John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving or White Teeth by Zadie Smith.