Books like Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
Set in 1954 in a logging and sawmill settlement in northern New Hampshire, *Last Night in Twisted River* begins with a twelve‑year‑old boy mistakenly identifying a local constable’s girlfriend as a bear. The boy and his father are forced to flee Coos County, traveling from Boston to southern Vermont to Toronto while evading a determined constable. Their only ally is a fiercely libertarian logger, once a river driver, who becomes their protector. Spanning five decades, the novel charts the father‑son relationship and the lives of teenage boys in a rugged frontier, juxtaposed with broader questions of justice and freedom. The story is rooted in the historical backdrop of New Hampshire’s logging industry and the speculative lives of its residents.
First publish date: 2009
Genre: Literary Fiction/Contemporary Literary Fiction
Authors: John Irving
★
★
★
★
★
4.0 (3 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to Last Night in Twisted River (18 similar books)
John Irving’s narrative follows two eleven‑year‑old boys in New Hampshire whose friendship is shattered when a foul ball kills one boy’s mother. The survivor, Owen Meany, believes he is a divine instrument, and the novel traces the impact of that belief on his life and the lives of those around him.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A sweeping, family‑centered saga of twin brothers and their father, set against medical practice and the ethical questions of a New York physician.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A tale set in rural Maine about a young doctor and his orphaned patient, the story of the CIDER HOUSE RULES.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
On Beauty explores a New England family’s life as they confront love, identity, and cultural divides over three decades, weaving personal struggles with broader conversations about race and belonging.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
John Irving’s New York Times bestseller chronicles the life of bisexual narrator Billy over more than a half‑century, exploring desire, secrecy and self‑acceptance in a rich mosaic of family, friends and lovers.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
John Irving’s comedy‑drama follows the eccentric Berry family as they move from the United States to Europe, taking refuge in three distinctive hotels and drawing a colorful cast of friends who replace conventional propriety with passion, violence, and laughter.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Teenage Ryan McIntyre enrolls at St. Isaac's Catholic boarding school after his father’s death, only to encounter a series of mysterious deaths and disappearances. When Father Sebastian begins a controversial exorcism program, Ryan realizes that the true darkness being summoned may be far older and more sinister than he imagined.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
High‑school classmates grapple with dark secrets that threaten their perfect lives, forcing them to confront past mistakes that keep resurfacing.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A Hindi film star . . . an American missionary . . . twins separated at birth . . . a dwarf chauffeur . . . a serial killer . . . all are on a collision course. In the tradition of A Prayer for Owen Meany, Irving's characters transcend nationality. They are misfits--coming from everywhere, belonging nowhere. Set almost entirely in India, this is John Irving's most ambitious novel and a major publishing event.From the Hardcover edition.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
The Folded Leaf follows two boys on a quiet, coming‑of‑age journey across the Midwest in the 1920s, capturing the innocence of childhood and the deep bonds of male friendship.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A gripping tale of love, betrayal, and redemption inspired by Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', set on Plantation Island in South Florida. The story revolves around an old man, Kenzie Maxwell, who faces reconciliation with his brother after a scandal and his past mistakes.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A curated anthology for students, 'Literature, The Human Experience, Reading and Writing—Shorter Ninth Edition' gathers iconic short stories, poems, and plays from classic and contemporary writers to illuminate themes of identity, culture, and the human condition.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Callum Ormond, a 15‑year‑old, becomes a fugitive while uncovering the mystery of his family member’s death in this teen adventure series.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
Setting Free the Bears by Kurth SchulzThe Lizard's Bite by Mark Z. Danielewski
Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!