約翰·歐文John Irving

當代文壇無可爭議的小說宗師，被公認為在世作傢中數一數二的角色。他的作品在贏得文壇推崇的同時深受大眾喜愛，被翻譯成35種文字，世界各地的書店裏幾乎都能買到歐文的小說。評論界認為歐文是罕見的承襲瞭現實主義文學精髓的作傢，將他譽為“狄更斯再世”。

日本作傢村上春樹曾錶示，歐文是自己的文學偶像之一，他曾將歐文作品譯介到日本，采訪過歐文，還與歐文在紐約中央公園一同慢跑。

歐文作品曾三次入圍美國國傢圖書奬，1980年憑藉《蓋普眼中的世界》摘得桂冠。

歐文作品在好萊塢也炙手可熱，曾有5部小說被改編成電影，他本人也是一名傑齣編劇。1999年，歐文以《蘋果酒屋的規則》拿下奧斯卡金像奬改編劇本奬。

歐文1942年生於美國新罕布什爾州埃剋塞特，全職寫作之前，曾當過二十年的摔跤手。他先後養過兩隻棕色拉布拉多犬，分彆取名為“狄更斯”和“勃朗特”。

"AN OLD-FASHIONED, BIG-HEARTED NOVEL . . . with its epic yearning caught in the 19th century, somewhere between Trollope and Twain . . . The rich detail makes for vintage Irving."

--The Boston Sunday Globe

"The Cider House Rules is filled with people to love and to feel for. . . . The characters in John Irving's novel break all the rules, and yet they remain noble and free-spirited. Victims of tragedy, violence, and injustice, their lives seem more interesting and full of thought-provoking dilemmas than the lives of many real people."

--The Houston Post

"John Irving's sixth and best novel . . . He is among the very best storytellers at work today. At the base of Irving's own moral concerns is a rare and lasting regard for human kindness."

--The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Entertaining and affecting . . . John Irving is the most relentlessly inventive writer around. He proliferates colorful incidents and crotchets of character. . . . A truly astounding amount of artistry and ingenuity."

--The San Diego Union