What order should I read John Irving's books in?

Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with A Prayer for Owen Meany.

What is John Irving's most famous book?

A Prayer for Owen Meany (1989) is John Irving's most widely read book.

Which John Irving books have been adapted?

4 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The World According to Garp (film, 1982), The Hotel New Hampshire (film, 1984), The Cider House Rules (film, 1999) and A Prayer for Owen Meany (as Simon Birch, film, 1998).

John Irving books in order

American novelist and screenwriter

Born: 1942
Country: United States
Books: 20

Literary fiction

John Irving has published 16 novels, 2 short story collections and 2 other books, beginning with The World According to Garp (1978). The best-known is A Prayer for Owen Meany (1989). The latest is Avenue of Mysteries (2015).

Updated September 2026

Where to start with John Irving

Start here
A Prayer for Owen Meany
John Irving's most-read book.
Shortest way in
The Fourth Hand
One of the most-read, at about 352 pages.
Newest
Avenue of Mysteries
Published November 2015.

Standalone novels in order

Setting Free the Bears (1968)
335 pages
Buy
The Water-Method Man (Dec 1972)
370 pages
Buy
The 158-Pound Marriage (Aug 1974)
255 pages
Buy
The World According to Garp (1978)
568 pages★ 3.8 (20 ratings)Adapted for film
Buy
The Hotel New Hampshire (1981)
450 pages★ 4.2 (14 ratings)Adapted for film
Buy
The Cider House Rules (1985)
598 pages★ 4.3 (21 ratings)Adapted for film
Buy
A Prayer for Owen Meany (Mar 1989)
544 pages★ 3.9 (32 ratings)Adapted for film
Buy
A Son of the Circus (Aug 1994)
653 pages
Buy
The Imaginary Girlfriend (1996)
154 pages
Buy
A Widow for One Year (May 1998)
592 pages
Buy
The Fourth Hand (Jul 2001)
352 pages★ 3.2 (5 ratings)
Buy
A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound (Sep 2004)
Buy
Until I Find You (Jul 2005)
848 pages
Buy
Last Night in Twisted River (Oct 2009)
Buy
In One Person (May 2012)
536 pages
Buy
Avenue of Mysteries (Nov 2015)
460 pages
Buy

Short story collections in order

3 by Irving (1980)
718 pages
Buy
Trying to Save Piggy Sneed (Feb 1996)
250 pages
Buy

Other books in order

John Irving (1995)
Buy
Queen Esther (2025)
Buy

Film and TV adaptations

The World According to Garp (1982)Film · from The World According to Garp
The Hotel New Hampshire (1984)Film · from The Hotel New Hampshire
The Cider House Rules (1999)Film · from The Cider House Rules
Simon Birch (1998)Film · from A Prayer for Owen Meany

About John Irving

John Winslow Irving is an American and Canadian novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

John Irving FAQ

How many books has John Irving written?: John Irving has published 16 novels, 2 short story collections and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read John Irving's books in?: Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with A Prayer for Owen Meany.
What is John Irving's latest book?: Avenue of Mysteries (2015).
What is John Irving's most famous book?: A Prayer for Owen Meany (1989) is John Irving's most widely read book.
Which John Irving books have been adapted?: 4 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The World According to Garp (film, 1982), The Hotel New Hampshire (film, 1984), The Cider House Rules (film, 1999) and A Prayer for Owen Meany (as Simon Birch, film, 1998).