Authors · NYT Hardcover Fiction

John Irving

Charting May 28, 1978 → Nov 23, 2025 · 150 weeks with chart power

Peak Power: 11.88%; week of Feb 14, 1982
Career Power: 1,114; share-weeks
Weeks at #1: 13; weeks as the top author

Peak Year: 368; June 1981 – June 1982
Peak Five Years: 545; October 1980 – October 1985
Top-five weeks: 61; weeks ranked 1–5
Longevity: 150; weeks with chart power
Dominance: 14.53%; week of Sep 27, 1981
Comebacks: 5; September 1981, June 1985, April 1989, June 1998, August 2001

Comebacks (thresholds from `config/scoring.json`)
Kind	Trough began	Returned	Trough weeks	Longest absence	Prior peak	Return share
After absence	Mar 4, 1979	Sep 27, 1981	134	133	5.11%	2.40%
After absence	Jul 25, 1982	Jun 23, 1985	152	148	11.88%	4.88%
After absence	Dec 1, 1985	Apr 23, 1989	177	173	11.88%	4.73%
After absence	Aug 20, 1989	Jun 14, 1998	460	263	11.88%	4.58%
After absence	Oct 25, 1998	Aug 12, 2001	146	143	11.88%	4.37%

Ranked by weekly Power Share, part of the ChartReign Power model — not the list's own positions (config version 4, Sep 22, 2026). How it works →

Exponentially smoothed share of the week's total power (the primary metric).

Titles on the NYT Hardcover Fiction

13 books · 1,114 share-weeks of Career Power

Power contributed is what each book earned this author: their weekly Power Share, split across their books (a featured credit takes its reduced share). Book Power is the book's own figure, the same for every author on it. Bar length compares books within this list.

Title	Peak	Weeks	On chart	Power contributedPower	Book Power
The Hotel New Hampshire	#1September 1981	40	September 1981 – June 1982	368.1	368.1
The Cider House Rules	#1June 1985	21	May 1985 – October 1985	177.0	177.0
A Widow for One Year	#1June 1998	20	May 1998 – September 1998	140.9	140.9
A Prayer for Owen Meany	#2April 1989	19	March 1989 – July 1989	125.8	125.8
The World According to Garp	#4July 1978	15	May 1978 – February 1979	82.7	82.7
The Fourth Hand	#1July 2001	10	July 2001 – September 2001	80.4	80.4
Until I Find You	#3July 2005	6	July 2005 – September 2005	44.6	44.5
A Son of the Circus	#7September 1994	9	September 1994 – October 1994	39.0	39.0
In One Person	#5May 2012	4	May 2012 – June 2012	25.2	25.2
Last Night in Twisted River	#4November 2009	2	November 2009 – November 2009	13.8	13.8
Avenue of Mysteries	#5November 2015	2	November 2015 – November 2015	10.4	10.4
The Last Chairlift	#11November 2022	1	November 2022	3.6	3.6
Queen Esther	#14November 2025	1	November 2025	2.4	2.4