John Irving’s “Queen Esther” Disappoints: A Lackluster Follow-Up to “The Cider House Rules”

During a period when some authors experience a golden era of successive masterpieces, John Irving delivered four substantial and profound novels, starting with his 1978 hit “The World According to Garp” and culminating in 1989 with “A Prayer for Owen Meany.” These novels, known for their rich, humorous, and expansive narratives, often featured what Irving describes as “outliers,” linking these characters to significant social topics such as feminism and abortion.

Post-“A Prayer for Owen Meany,” there has been a noticeable decline in the freshness of Irving’s subjects, though not in the length of his books. His most recent work, “The Last Chairlift” (2022), spans 900 pages and revisits themes like mutism, dwarfism, and transgender issues that had been more effectively addressed in his earlier works. This book even includes a 200-page screenplay, seemingly to increase its volume unnecessarily.

With a mix of caution and a glimmer of hope, readers might approach Irving’s newest novel, “Queen Esther,” which, at a more modest 432 pages, promises a revisit to the universe of “The Cider House Rules.” This 1985 book is among Irving’s most celebrated works, largely set in a Maine orphanage managed by Dr. Wilbur Larch and his protégé Homer Wells.

In “The Cider House Rules,” Irving tackled subjects like abortion and belonging with vivid humor and deep empathy, moving away from the repetitive elements of wrestling, bears, Vienna, and prostitution that characterized his other novels.

“Queen Esther” begins in the early 20th century in Penacook, New Hampshire, where a couple, Thomas and Constance Winslow, adopt 14-year-old Esther, an orphan from St. Cloud’s. The narrative starts a few decades prior to “The Cider House Rules,” featuring a younger, though already ether-addicted, Wilbur Larch, who is cherished by his nurses and known for his signature opening, “Here in St Cloud’s…” However, his role in “Queen Esther” is brief, limited to the early chapters.

The Winslows face challenges in helping Esther navigate her identity as a young Jewish girl. The story then leaps to the 1920s, portraying Esther as an adult involved in the Jewish migration to Palestine and becoming an integral part of Haganah, the Zionist paramilitary group tasked with defending Jewish settlements.

These significant issues are introduced but not deeply explored by Irving. Instead, the narrative shifts focus when Esther, for plot-related reasons, becomes a surrogate mother to another Winslow daughter, giving birth to a son, Jimmy, in 1941. From here, the novel centers predominantly on Jimmy’s life.

Irving reintroduces his familiar themes with Jimmy’s story: the setting moves to Vienna, and elements from his past works, such as draft-dodging from Vietnam, reappear alongside new yet similar motifs like wrestling, prostitution, and symbolic animals.

Unfortunately, Jimmy’s character does not captivate as Esther’s setup promised. Supporting characters like students Claude, Jolanda, and Jimmy’s tutor Annelies Eissler also lack depth. While there are engaging moments, such as a memorable first sexual experience and a peculiar fight, these scenes are fleeting.

Irving’s style remains direct and repetitive, with a penchant for foreshadowing and building up to dramatic reveals. However, in “Queen Esther,” significant events, like a major character losing an arm, are only disclosed near the novel’s conclusion, diminishing their impact.

Esther reemerges toward the end of the book, but only to hastily conclude her story, leaving many details of her life in Palestine and Israel unexplored. “Queen Esther” ends up being a letdown for those who cherished Irving’s earlier works. Fortunately, for those looking for the magic of Irving’s storytelling, “The Cider House Rules” remains a compelling read decades later, offering a richer narrative experience than “Queen Esther.”

“Queen Esther” by John Irving is available from Scribner (£22). You can purchase your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.