The Hotel New Hampshire

Quirky,bizarre,tragic,fiendishlyfunny,TheHotelNewHampshireisanythingbutaconventionalfamilysaga,thoughafamilysagaitcertainlyis.TheBerryfamilyaredifferent.Loveabounds-bothhealthyandincestuous.ItistheoverwhelmingdesireoftheBerryfathertorunahotel,whichhedoes,withdubioussuccess,inbothaformergirls'schoolinNewHampshire,andinVienna.ItistheBerrychildrenwhograbthereaders'attention,sympathiesandlove-allfiveofthem:Frank(theeldest),Franny(theweirdest),John(thenarrator),Lily(thewriter)andEgg(theyoungest).WhenIrving,orratherJohn,writes'Frank'squeer,Franny'sweird,Lily'ssmallandEggisEgg'theinitiatedreadercandonootherthanshoutadeafening'yes,Iknowwhatyoumean!'Fromthereon,thereaderisheldspellboundasthefamilyLabrador,Sorrow,isfirststuffedthenbecomesthecruelvictimofaplanecrash;andasJohnandFrannyrealisetheirincestuousdesires.Stunninglyreadable,mercilesslyinvolving,TheHotelNewHampshireispeopledwithcharacters-andbears-thatyou'llneverforget.