I was really excited to have the opportunity to read another work by John Irving as I have read everything he has written. Initially, I the story and characters were interesting and captivating, but I found myself losing interest in the middle of the book when James was in Vienna. I was unable to see where the plot was going, and that there was no compulsion to find out where it was leading. I trusted that the author had an end game, so I plodded on, and was pleased with the conclusion. I am not sure that the average reader would continue midway through the book. I am Jewish so was aware of the rituals etc, and I do think the author explained it quite well for the non-Jewish reader. The characters were well developed and the oddness of some, added interest. All in all, I did enjoy the book, the complexity of the issues presented, and was glad that I continued to the end.

I started this book with high expectations, and at 9% I did not finish. Right now it is not holding my interest. I MAY go back to it because I adore his writing.

Queen Esther by John Irving is a challenging read. Much of it feels like an essay or an internal dialogue Mr. Irving is having with himself. I almost wish it had been structured as a collection of essays or reflections because, as a narrative, it never quite finds its rhythm. That said, there are still some enjoyable, humorous, and entertaining moments. Overall, though, it didn't succeed as a novel for me. I imagine Mr. Irving dictating to someone and them writing down everything he said, even if it didn't fit the broader narrative.
Thanks to #Netgalley, #Simon&Shuster, and John Irving for the ARC copy of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Queen Esther by John Irving due to be published November 4, 2025.

Esther Nacht is born in Vienna in 1905. Her father dies on board the ship to Portland, Maine; her mother is murdered by anti-Semites in Portland. Dr. Larch knows it won’t be easy to find a Jewish family to adopt Esther; in fact, he won’t find any family who’ll adopt her.

I tried to get through this book, but it was difficult. The timeline jumped back and forth; I didn’t enjoy the characters, and it was all I could do to sludge through it. Definitely not my cup of tea.

#NetGalley #JohnIrving #QueenEsther #Simon&Schuster

John Irving is an amazing writer and has written some of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Unfortunately, Queen Esther is not one of those books. The story meandered and I can’t even explain what the story is really about. It was a slog to get through.

As a John Irving fan, l loved Queen Esther. He does such a great job of integrating historical and medical history, humor, wit, social justice and acceptance of all. His compassionate connections between the characters allowed me to fall in love with them. I wanted to be part of their family/friend circle. Irving’s dialogue often made me smile (“Right you are, Connie”) I learned so much about the birth and history of Israel. John Irving‘s offbeat topics and writing style isn’t for everyone, but for us hard-core fans, the book was just one more brilliant piece of writing.

Thomas and Constance Winslow are about to have their fourth child, their fourth daughter, and like her older siblings, she will have her own nanny. So off to the same orphanage from Cider House Rules, where, ironically, abortions are performed, for an older orphan to be a live-in nanny, as were the nannies for the other Winslow children. Enter Esther, a European Jew with a tragic history into the Winslow household. She remains until the Winslow daughter in her charge out grows her services and travels to Austria and Germany as Hitler is rising to power. Meanwhile one of the daughters becomes the mother of a boy, James Winslow.

While we watch James come of age in a house of women, the exception his Dickens loving grandfather, in a conservative town, the Winslow family, far from conservative, try to keep track of Esther in transit over the years, her life a mystery, open to speculation—after the fall of the Reich, is she a Nazi hunter, and later what is she doing in Israel?

In interviews, Irving spoke of visiting Israel, partially for research of this book. It’s worth mentioning the biblical Book of Esther in Irving’s hand served more as an inspiration than blueprint for his story. The Old Testament Book of Esther is sensitive reading material. Choosing 1981 Jerusalem as one of his settings, once again, is his contribution to an ongoing human rights political issue.

Reaching college age, Jimmy who wants to be a writer goes to school in Vienna in the early 1960s when the military presence by the United States is escalating in Vietnam. To keep him from serving, his mother decides that if he doesn’t find a woman to impregnate, she’ll force a deferment by devising a wrestling injury.

Irving reworks his themes from novel to novel. In this novel he goes further, there are revisitations other than the Cider House Rules’ orphan visit, a sense that sections edited out of The Last Chairlift were pasted in Queen Esther. Readers of The Last Chairlift will recognize them.
Contrast the female voices in the Winslow household with the solitary male voice of Tom Winslow, until James comes of age, when he’s a solo act apart from his wife Constance, as a lover of Dickens, of which pages about Dickens and his work Winslow goes on and on, exhausting the reader. The women have their Bronte sisters. Time passes and the future of the story from the Winslow household is told not shown, breaking one of the cardinal rules of fiction writing.

Of the young man who we watch grow up to become a writer, wrestle while in college, residing in Europe, away from home, allows for friends, easy going, chatty as they become sexual beings, which in an Irving novel covers a variety of sexual identities and, often, the sexual hot topic of the moment.

Where in this book, Irving is most playful and minimalist, his style of storytelling brings to mind John Barth.

My thanks to the publisher, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for an ARC.

In QUEEN ESTHER, written by John Irving, Thomas and Constance Winslow have three daughters, or wards of the state (Faith, Hope, and Prudence). They live in Pennacook, New Hampshire. I want to find out what happens to this family.

Like all of John Irving’s novels, there are quirky characters and a convoluted plot. What fun! I immediately care about the characters. They are interesting and memorable. I also like that the story occurs in New Hampshire, and there is something about wrestling. I find it refreshing that each chapter has a title, something I have not seen in recent books I have read. I like the inclusion of and information about literature, music, and movies. While I do not agree with some of Irving’s political views, I can appreciate his writing ability. It is such a pleasure to read John Irving’s prose, and I hope he continues to write novels. Thank you, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of QUEEN ESTHER.

Queen Esther marks a return to form for John Irving, with familiar themes, beloved settings, and the oddball humor. This novel contains the themes of many of Irving’s classics: orphans, New England, loss, and love.

The novel opens with Esther Nacht’s birth in 1905 Vienna and follows her migration to Portland, Maine, where trauma follows her. Her father dies aboard the ship and her mother is murdered by anti-Semites. No adoptive family can be found until the Winslows step in. The family is eccentric New Hampshirian with a history of raising orphans.. They are not Jewish, but they welcome Esther into their home wholeheartedly.

The plot is sprawling. Irving spans continents and decades, from Maine to Jerusalem, from World War II and attempts to address the politics of the modern Middle East. There’s a clear attempt here to wrestle with history, faith, and activism, especially as Esther’s later years take her to Jerusalem and into the heart of political resistance.

For longtime fans, Queen Esther offers nostalgia, heart, and plenty to think about. It’s unmistakably Irving, and that voice is still worth listening to.

Queen Esther was quintessential Irving in some ways - meandering sentences and general weirdness (in the best way possible, bizarre characters, and generation spanning stories. Sadly, aside from that I felt it didn’t live up to his earlier work. There wasn’t much character development and I didn’t feel very attached to anyone. By the 3/4 mark - if not before - I was ready for it be done.

All that said - I still quite literally LOLed at quite a few ridiculous Irving sentences and interactions between characters.

“Who knows, maybe our religion will teach the world and all the people in it about the goodness, and that’s the reason, the only reason, we have to suffer.”

This was such a lovely read for me, and I can't compare reading this to others since I haven't read any other readers' reviews. I loved how this began, as it is close to places where I have lived, it made it easier to picture this as the story begins.

There are too many characters in this story to cover their lives, the things and places they love, and those that they love.

While this begins somewhat slowly, the story builds evenly as time passes and the story begins to share the stories of the people who are the most involved, and how they are involved.


Pub Date: 04 Nov 2025

Many thanks for the opportunity to read John Irving's 'Queen Esther'

It's hard to summarize the plot of this book because it's difficult to pin down what it actually is. The title character, Esther, barely appears. She shows up just long enough to be introduced and to give birth to the protagonist, Jimmy. I expected more development around Esther and how she fits into the family dynamic, but she ends up as more of a distant, mythical figure than an actual character. That may have been the point, to show her impact from a distance, but to me it felt like a missed opportunity.

Most of the characters felt underdeveloped, more like a collection of quirks than fully formed people. I didn’t connect with many of them. Honestly, the main fun I had reading was playing “John Irving Bingo” and spotting his recurring themes: the fatherless child, Vienna, lesbians, elaborate schemes to avoid the Vietnam draft, a strange fixation on a character’s penis, New Hampshire, and the constant exploration of faith.

The timeline jumps around a lot, sometimes without much warning, and the story often felt like it was shifting into a completely different book. From chapter fifteen on, it becomes entirely Jimmy’s story. Those chapters were more enjoyable. His time in Vienna and his group of roommates felt like a good fit and brought some much-needed energy to the narrative. Still, a few moments were baffling, like the Mieke and draft-dodging situation, or the subplot with the dishwasher and her thugs. It was disturbing how little anyone in the story seemed to care about that incident.

I did appreciate the more forward-looking ending, especially the return of the parents and grandparents. It added some perspective and gave the story a more grounded close. At times the book felt a little preachy, especially when touching on abortion and Israel. Some of that history was interesting and educational for me, but I can imagine it coming across as heavy-handed or polarizing for others.

Overall, there were glimpses of what I usually enjoy in Irving’s work, but the lack of cohesion and shallow character work made this one fall flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reading a John Irving novel is like being invited into someone's home as a child and sharing in the daily experiences of them and everyone around them for the rest of your life; you're a part of their family now.
Queen Esther begins in the familiar orphanage at St. Cloud and meanders all over the world from there. We follow the lives of Esther, her adopted family, her son James and on and on through to James' people as he ages. This is a story of belonging and of knowing who you are. This is a history of struggle, of the many ways we try to keep our children safe and of how we learn to let go. This book is everything you would want and expect from John Irving.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Winslow family takes in orphans to act as nannies for their children. Kindly people, the Winslows become family to each of the nannies. The last nanny, Esther, becomes a surrogate mother for the youngest Winslow daughter.

Wow, this book has all the feels. John has a very special way of weaving very deep themes together to make a beautiful book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

After the sprawling self-indulgent "The Last Chairlift" John Irving talked about making that his last novel, and he probably should have.

It's hard to summarize the plot because it's hard to nail down what it is. The title character, Esther, basically shows up long enough to be introduced and be the birth mother for protagonist Jimmy. All of the characters are very thinly drawn. Really more a series of quirks than actual personalities. Really the main enjoyment I got out of this book was playing "John Irving Bingo" and noticing each time he uses one of the hallmarks/tropes/themes, that pop up in multiple of his books: a fatherless child, Vienna, lesbians, scheming to avoid a young man getting drafted in the Vietnam War, uncomfortable fixation on a character's penis, New Hampshire, questions of faith...

I'm a long time John Irving fan. "A Prayer For Owen Meany" is one of my favorite novels of all time. You'd be far better off reading that or "Cider House Rules" than this one.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In many ways, this is trademark Irving and enjoyable to read. The inclusion of old familiar themes, haunts and his humor were fun to revisit (his last few novels being so far off the rails). However, there's too much sprawl here that weighs it down. I skimmed parts, which I don't think I'd ever imagined I'd do in the days of Owen Meany and Garp. There's enough here though to make it worth your while to read.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Queen Esther. I thought I was diving into a story, but for the first chunk, it felt more like I was being handed a heavily footnoted scroll. So many details. So much context. Politics, history, side characters I couldn’t keep straight. I kept waiting for the actual story to show up.

But then something shifted — and honestly, thank God. It’s not just about Esther herself (who sometimes felt more like an idea than a real person). The focus quietly drifts to her son — yep, the one she gives away. Like, literally hands him over to her best friend as a gift. It sounds dramatic, and it is, but somehow it doesn’t feel forced.

That’s when the book started to breathe. The second half let go of the lecture style and actually let the characters live a little. It was different — not what I expected — but it worked. The weird mix of sacred history, personal drama, and that surprise emotional weight around the son? Kind of compelling, once you’re past the info overload.

***ARC provided by NetGalley**

I am almost embarrassed to admit that I have never read anything by John Irving. I have heard a ton of folks talk about how much they love Owen Meany but I never picked it up (or haven't yet!). Unfortunately, I am not sure if this was the best place to start.

I really enjoyed the first 11 chapters. I thought Tommy and Connie's family was adorable. They are strong, independent characters with huge hearts. The obviously made the orphans they brought home part of the family. The chapter when they pick up Esther is both funny (the other children's reaction) and sad (reason for her being at the orphanage).

However, from chapter 12 thru 15, I was thoroughly confused. The timeline would jump backward and forward as it transitioned to a completely different story. I expected more information around Esther fitting into the family and those dynamics. She ends up being this distant mythical figure instead of an actual character in the book. It feels like that is what is intended, around the impact to the family, but it felt like a gap to me.

From chapter 15 on, it was all Jimmy's story. His chapters were entertaining, and his roommates were the perfect group for him in Vienna. There are a couple things that happen that were so odd (Mieke and draft dodging) and the dishwasher and her thugs (very disturbing that it didn't seem to be an issue to anyone involved). I did appreciate the forward looking view at the end, especially bringing back the parents/grandparents.

It did feel a little preachy at times, even though some of the topics covered (abortion and Israel) are very timely now. Some of that history was educational for me but I can see it being sensitive for others.

This has all the elements of John Irving’s signature style - ridiculousness, heartfelt, odd characters thrown into humorous circumstances. It includes some throwback themes as well, like orphans, wrestling, and the ever endearing New Hampshire.

Queen Esther is titled after a Jewish orphan who ends up adopted by a unique family in NH, with a history of virtuous names, appreciation for literature, mistrust of religion, and a newly adopted nanny for each of their born daughters. The fact that Esther heralds from a Jewish mother - the only descriptor her mother insisted on Esther knowing - was unique for the Winslows, but not unwelcome. Like the good people they are, they support Esther through her individual journey, as she supports them, in unconventional ways. Much of the book follows Esther’s biological son, who Esther birthed for the asexual Winslow daughter, Honor. Esther, herself, disappears to Jerusalem, where she becomes a rebel leader for leftist Jewish groups.

Irving takes on the modern Middle East in this new book, mostly by going back in time briefly to WWII, and the subsequent difficulties of the next decades in the Middle East, through the eyes of Esther’s son, whose knowledge is pieced together slowly, through various other influences in his life. Irving’s take is noble, and multifaceted. And it was so lovely to once again hear his unique voice, with all of its idiosyncrasies. Definitely worth a read.

I did find it fell apart a little bit about 3/4ths through, around the time of the wrestlers in Vienna, but it got back on the rails.