The Fourth Hand

A Novel

By: John Irving

Narrated by: Jason Culp

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK

While reporting a story from India, New York journalist Patrick Wallingford inadvertently becomes his own headline when his left hand is eaten by a lion. In Boston, a renowned surgeon eagerly awaits the opportunity to perform the nation’s first hand transplant. But what if the donor’s widow demands visitation rights with the hand? In answering this unexpected question, John Irving has written a novel that is by turns brilliantly comic and emotionally moving, offering a penetrating look at the power of second chances and the will to change.

Praise for The Fourth Hand

“A rich and deeply moving tale . . . Vintage Irving: a story of two very disparate people, and the strange and unexpected ways we grow . . . Irving’s novels are perceptive and precise reflections of the world around us.”—The Washington Post Book World

“A blend of sexual farce, journalistic satire, and tender love story . . . From what at first seems bizarre, Irving builds the best kind of love story: an improbable one. Wallingford gets more than a transplanted hand; he begins to find his soul.”—USA Today

“A riveting entertainment and certainly one of the funniest novels of the year. The authoritative control of Irving’s storytelling has never been more impressive. . . . The delighted reader is powerless to look away.”—Chicago Sun-Times

“[A] thoroughly satisfying literary experience . . . Irving’s most compassionate and redemptive [novel] to date . . . [His] mastery of characterization is unequaled in American novelists of the day.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“A beautiful story about the redemptive power of love.”—The Denver Post
©2001 by Garp Enterprises; (P)2001 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A RICH AND DEEPLY MOVING TALE . . . Vintage Irving: a story of two very disparate people, and the strange and unexpected ways we grow . . . Irving’s novels are perceptive and precise reflections of the world around us.”
–The Washington Post Book World

“A BLEND OF SEXUAL FARCE, JOURNALISTIC SATIRE, AND TENDER LOVE STORY . . . From what at first seems bizarre, Irving builds the best kind of love story: an improbable one. Wallingford gets more than a transplanted hand; he begins to find his soul.”
–USA Today

“A RIVETING ENTERTAINMENT AND CERTAINLY ONE OF THE FUNNIEST NOVELS OF THE YEAR. The authoritative control of Irving’s storytelling has never been more impressive. . . . The delighted reader is powerless to look away.”
–Chicago Sun-Times

“[A] THOROUGHLY SATISFYING LITERARY EXPERIENCE . . . Irving’s most compassionate and redemptive [novel] to date . . . [His] mastery of characterization is unequaled in American novelists of the day.”
–St. Louis Post Dispatch

“A BEAUTIFUL STORY ABOUT THE REDEMPTIVE POWER OF LOVE.”
–The Denver Post

Strange but Fascinating

This is the first Irving book I've "read," and I enjoyed it a lot. The narrator, Jason Culp, is what sold me on listening in the first place, because I had greatly enjoyed his excellent narration of "Last Man Standing." I found "Fourth Hand" fascinating because, in a manner similar to "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues," it swirls in a vortex of sexuality without being dominated by it. I've actually known a man like the main character, so as improbable as he seems, he does exist out there. As a character, he may not have been as compelling without the gruesome mayhem aspect, but strangely, that aspect lends him credibility. I admit I fell into the trap of expecting a more profound outcome, thus almost gave it four stars instead of five. But then I realized it's character driven, rather than plot driven. As such, the characters find themselves in multiple laugh-out-loud situations. Bottom line: It's a fascinating ADULT listen, and it may very well be that my slight disappointment at the end had more to do with the fact that the story was over than the fact that it didnt end differently.

a good irving story

Is it as good as A Prayer for Owen Meany or A Widow for One Year? No, I don't think so. But it is good. It's worth reading and it's classic Irving. If you like classic John Irving, you'll enjoy the Fourth Hand.

American Male Humor

This is my favorite audio book and I have collected hundreds. This book has everything an American Male can ask for: the NFL, sex, John Irving's dry humor, etc. I strongly recommend it (for guys).

On the flipside, I don't believe females would find this book amusing.

The strangest of love stories.

I simply love John Irving's stories, they always lead you down the crooked little lanes of human existence.

I am a fan of John Irving!

Great prose even if the premise is outrageous. A unique talent for holding the reader’s attention.