John Irving Doesn't Write a Book Until He Knows How It's Going to End

[@TabethaAurochs]

John Irving is my father's favorite living writer, and I too grew up on his books. Irving and Vonnegut bear the responsibility for my love of reading, writing, and the indescribable joy of the perfect turn of phrase. Thank you Mrs. Meyers (and Seth)! ❤️

[@karleyyork9001]

Absolutely! Irving and Vonnegut are golden. I am going to start this new book tonight! ♥️

[@domb8448]

'Bear' is oddly relevant.. 👍

[@marigeobrien]

If you like a good turn of phrase, if you haven't, you should read Lucy Maud Montgomery. I will never forget her amazing description of a fire, not to mention her characters, the way her stories reverberate far longer than you might imagine.

[@ramonaboggio7402]

Bravo Mr.Irving, Bravo👏 👏 👏

[@FarshadTami]

Very nice to have John Irving as a guest. Thank you for this gem of an interview.

[@ingridnilsen9126]

Not only is it great that Seth often has authors on, but the conversation is always insightful, thought provoking AND funny. ❤

[@richo6537]

Thought the same thing! I usually only watch videos if I know the person but when it's an author, I always watch them thanks to Seth :)

[@selfdiscardedkingofruin7291]

One of my absolute favorite authors of all time. Glad to see he's doing well and can't wait to read his new novel.

[@pakitorodriguez119]

After I’ve learned English and I was able to read and enjoy novels, I’ve set out to devour John Irving starting with the Hotel New Hampshire. I fell in love with his soul but somehow I’ve drifted away from his work in the last 15 years. So to see him chatting with Seth was wonderful. Brought back so many memories. Thank you. ❤

[@bookshopgirlilmariel2510]

He's an incredible writer. Some of his books are my all-time favourite novels. Thank you for this interview

[@nolangutierrez9572]

Can I ask how many books have you read?

[@bookshopgirlilmariel2510]

@@nolangutierrez9572 like ever? 😄 That I cannot answer. By John Irving: 6

[@madilynlunsford9407]

He’s a wonderful writer with such a clear voice in his novels. 10 out of 10 would recommend! ❤

[@derkeheath5172]

I love that his novels can be a little of everything - comedy on one page, horror on the next, a chapter that happens to be a murder mystery...you never know what's coming next. I always feel intimidated by an Irving novel because it's less like reading a novel and more like experiencing someone's life. I'll only read one if I know I have the time to devote to it that it deserves. The World According to Garp and A Prayer for Owen Meany are two of my all-time favorite novels. I think my next Irving read will be either Son of the Circus or The Hotel New Hampshire.

[@onlyrick]

I started Son of the Circus and for some reason put it down. I later picked it back up and it is now tied with A Prayer for Owen Meany as my favorite.

[@joniheisenberg6691]

@@onlyrick I will need to give “A Son of the Circus” another go. “A Prayer for Owen Meany” is one of my favorite novels.

[@scottienyc1963]

@@onlyrick I love Irving and have read pretty much everything he's written (and just started this one), but I've started Son of the Circus a few times and just haven't been able to get through it. Might have to give it another try.

[@markdaniels7174]

“Son of the Circus” was a tough one for me, too. Lots of abandoned starts. I finally finished it by going with the audiobook. My five faves, in order of publication: Garp, Hotel New Hampshire, Cider House Rules, Owen Meaney, and A Widow for One Year.

[@silkyway4024]

He´s such a precious human being. I´m so thankful that he shares his mind and his stories

[@frannyowen]

This is so exciting! John Irving is my favorite author and Seth is my absolute favorite comedian ❤ to have them together is so awesome 🫶🏻 thank you for having him on!

[@robertodelosangeles3247]

This is the one thing that’s missing from Colbert’s show! He really does do a ton of very important interviews with journalist and other people in the arts, but he doesn’t interview enough writers of fiction, who, throughout American history, have been some of the most important voices in contemporary thought. I’m glad Seth and his team understand that!

[@joniheisenberg6691]

A person I admired greatly urged me to read “A Prayer for Owen Meany.” The novel has stayed with me for many years.

[@ritaparker9629]

I just began this book last night. I'm already getting "Garp" vibes, and it certainly sounds like I'm not wrong. I love John Irving. He is one of the living legends.

[@kgreene460]

John Irving is one of my favorite authors, I've read all of his books and I cherish them, thank you SO MUCH for having him on!!

[@HermitLady]

Authors rarely get spotlighted, thank you Seth for sharing your time with them!

[@wmnoe]

Great interview. Seth asked really good questions, and I freaking love John's responses. He too is my favorite living author.

[@donstoddard8458]

Thank you that was really a nice interview short and sweet

[@gregbors8364]

“This little guy writes mysteries.” “How can a hamster write mysteries?” “Well, he gets the ending first, then he works backward.”

[@viewit16]

I will add my voice as someone who is a great fan of John Irving. My favorite male writer.

[@texaspineywoods3879]

Mr. Irving: over 56 years, you have saved my soul. Thank you for being the artist and craftsman you are. I might have been dead without you.

[@deanebruner2396]

Thank you for this interview. My favorite author whom I've read all his books, currently savoring Chairlift.

[@blackbird5634]

"It is hard work, and great art, to make life, not so serious." -John Irving.

[@VieenRennes]

Thank you for this interview. What a legend.

[@tammystockley-loughlin7680]

So good to see John Irving. I reas The world according to Garp in high school...and then Robin Williams and John Lithgow brought it to life. Good stuff. Positive vibes from New Hampshire, remember to be kind to each other and yourself during these trying times.

[@Sileonex123]

I'm gonna post this on every video till Seth mentions it in any way he wants to on here or on TV. It doesn't matter. I'm in love with the comedy this man and his team produces...there isn't anyone better doing it right now.

[@British_Rogue]

You'll be helping with KZbin's algorithm then.

[@Sileonex123]

@@British_Rogue I do not know what that means!

[@tucci007da]

I became an instant fan of Irving upon reading Last Night In Twisted River and am proud to know he's Canadian, eh!

[@BentonRox]

John Irving is amazing. I read The World According to Garp when I was a teenager and it made me feel seen. (which probably says a little too much about me at that age but there it is.) Cant wait to read this one.

[@patricedecourcy4505]

I love Irving's novels. He has created so many memorable characters and situations...

[@debmcgerrigle3477]

It's refreshing to see an author on one of these talk shows. Irving's writing is always character driven who are so interesting. This book sounds like a good read.

[@francissookraj3202]

John Iriving is a very funny, unique writer. I read The World According to Garp and A Prayer for Owen Meany both books I enjoyed immensley. I'm going to read more of his books.

[@bamboolaceway]

John Irving's books have had a great part in shaping who I am. I remember my mom quoting, "The Hotel New Hampshire," saying, "...to us, our family was as normal as rain,"

[@MaryRowen]

Oh, this is great!! John Irving's my favorite author and what a terrific interview with Seth! I'm embarrassed to say I didn't know Seth has authors as guests on his show--thought that era was over. Will be watching more often!

[@PecktheTownCrier]

Good interview! Substantive questions and a relaxed pace, to allow for real replies.

[@lillifee278]

I love John Irving!

[@maryscottoconnor9711]

John Irving is my favourite contemporary writer. Reading his work dissuaded me from pursuing a life as a novelist. For that alone, the world should thank him.

[@itcouldbelupus2842]

This is the best late night show.

[@robertzobert1953]

John's books are a delight; he's great!

[@johns7868]

Was happy to see him laugh & smile at the end

Irving is one of my favorite authors, certainly my favorite living author, and I´m always amazed by his books. I´ve recently read "Cider House Rules" for the first time and he creates such good characters. "Garp" is excellent, of course, but maybe my favorite of his is "A Prayer for Owen Meany". He is 82 now and in this interview you can see his age, but he is still sharp, I hope he writes one more.

[@derkeheath5172]

The World According to Garp needs an 8 to10 episode Netflix mini-series ASAP.

[@ianstewart8301]

Oh man! So excited that Seth had John Irving on!

[@tanzoniaflakes5068]

I remember looking at the movie, "The World According to Garp" when I was about 8 and not knowing what this movie was about. Still don't. I just knew Robin Williams was in it. I'd seen him in the Popeye movie and Mark & Mindy, so I watched it. That was not a kid movie😒 Lol😄

[@kamnbam]

Seeing the ending is a gift!

[@scottmacdonald3438]

I love his books. I have read 4 of his books and just started reading the fourth hand.

[@susanfritzel4055]

I like Seth’s variety of your mom jokes

[@ophelias4172]

I know how my stories begin and end. It’s the middle but that gets to me.

[@jrpipik]

Wow! John Irving!

[@reneekad]

Yes. To be the character in someone’s story with no clear point or end hasn’t been great.

[@alexaales7937]

love his work, read most of it, didn't like his screenwriting for 'the cider house rules', that was in my opinion a bad adaptation of an awesome book! the casting was just bad! hated the movie having read the book!

[@nathanhughes]

What a get! Only seth!

[@TabethaAurochs]

Shout out to Mrs. Meyers for this gem 💜

[@susanfritzel4055]

So true. Shocker

[@dilbertdoe601]

Thought that was Steve Bannon in the thumbnail at first.

[@20NotTwothousand]

Do I put that book on my Kindle or build upper body with the real thing?✌️🙏❤️

[@blaq4427]

Upper body!

[@joycastle.]

Well, the upper body includes the head, doesn't it?

[@js2010ish]

Probably functions as a yoga block

[@helengournay2377]

Oh Kathy Riese, I was just wondering if my arthritic hand would be able to hold it or if I would resort to Kindle.

[@kelleecorti6968]

So funny ! I just love this man for writing so many gifts for us, and for so many…

[@MrBencbon]

This man has saved my life, as a writer .

[@JaneDoe-em7zi]

Looooooovvvvved The Cider House Rules. ❤❤❤

[@johnbastille5483]

I've read all of his novels at least once, many twice and Owen Meany three times. I just got The Last Chairlift, but need to finish Anthony Horowitz' The Twist of a Knife first (It's shorter.). By the way, Charles Dickens is Irving's favorite writer, so I read all of his novels in chronological order. Second is Canadian author Robertson Davies, so I read all of HIS novels in as close to chronological order as I could manage (Harder to find.). Both his choices were correct. Of Vonnegut, I've only read Slaughterhouse Five.

[@mackfarlainethebarenakedau5113]

The Last Chairlift isn't all that much longer than Until I Find You. That book is 820 pages all told; The Last Chairlift is 889. I thought it was going to be a lot longer, given how big the stack of pages was on John's website when he had a comparison of the two novels.

[@alexanderclaylavin]

For New England!

[@JoeD0403]

“And from that day forward, no one ever again had to go without rhubarb. The End.” Book deal please.

[@NewMessage]

'The last chairlift' sounds like a pixar movie about a ski lodge full of talking hill grooming equipment.

[@Miss_KittyFantastico]

Seth has put words on why I hate when an author is "writing as it comes to him" and you can feel it...

[@catalinacurio]

Writing is so therapeutic, it requires discipline and self awareness. 😊

[@KogaAmagi]

Absolutely, well said

[@terrytube5247]

I stopped reading Irving over 30 years ago, halfway through Hotel New Hampshire. Every book was the same! Just need to read Garp and you're good! At least for the first five books. A friend of mine read Owen Meany when it came out and became obsessed. She read me some passages; they only confirmed I was done with Irving. Perhaps his later books are good, but a lot of postwar white male American writers tend to write too much yet not mature creatively. Readers "outgrow" them. Maybe they're all obsessed with emulating Hemingway or the terrible Jack Kerouac and never look forward. They are obsessed with sex, success, and the remote or absent fathers who never played catch with them. [END RANT]

[@cengizc2456]

@Terry Tube, this is exactly why I stopped reading Irving. I'll cut and paste what I wrote earlier: He used to be my favorite writer as well, but this necessity to write those, not just long, but extremely long-winded novels made me stop reading. That took away the joy of reading to me. When he writes twenty pages, another author writes one and there is just as much information in that single page as the redundant twenty of Irving. It's as if he is writing a paper for school and he needs to increase the word count. Also, every book of Irving is the same: disasters, bears, wrestling, etc. (just check off the whole Irving usual suspects).

[@MrHighLife90]

Finally a show when i see adult themes talk. Can we go back to this please? Jeez

[@reneekad]

Even if I knew what I do now I still wouldn’t have gotten an abortion. That says nothing about what I think of it as a policy matter.

[@reneekad]

The psychotic nature of the hatred I get bc I didn’t get an abortion is really scary.

[@bubblesezblonde]

Well, I am not a fan of 'WATG' but this interview was gold. Thanks Seth.

[@marigeobrien]

Ladies and gentlemen, pay attention. This is not just "a bestselling writer." This is one of the great writers of the 20th century. This is like watching Hemingway (although, IMHO, I believe John Irving is better than Hemingway ever was) or Steinbeck or George Orwell or any of a dozen or so writers that came out of the 20th century. Read his books, wait 10 years and then read them again. And you will see.

[@js2010ish]

None of those 4 really catch my attention or aged well but thanks.

[@invictus1961]

I love his books - but this last one is just awful

[@amyjackson8725]

Is this book about the kardashians??