As a novelist and screenwriter John Irving has created work that will be familiar to many. Cider House Rules; The World According to Garp and The Hotel New Hampshire have been adapted in to acclaimed films and, more recently, A Prayer for Owen Meany and A Widow for One Year have become international bestsellers.

Irving's initial novels were less commercially successful however. Setting Free the Bears was his first work published in 1968; and while well received by critics it was largely overlooked by readers. Irving's subsequent reputation has helped this debut work become more collectible though. A first edition of Setting Free the Bears can now reach up to $1,400 at auction.

The World According to Garp was the novel that brought Irving much wider attention in 1978. A first edition copy, published by E.P. Dutton, can be obtained by the collector for between $500 and $600. The Hotel New Hampshire, a slightly less recognized title from 1981, has realized up to $300.

Perhaps Irving's most famous work is Cider House Rules. The novel tells the story of Homer Wells, a New England orphan, and his eventual homecoming to run the orphanage in which he grew up. Collectors can expect to pay around $400 to $500 for first editions of this 1985 book.

John Irving's work is now widely known and continues to attract new readers and collectors. Although not hugely prolific, there are still around twenty books that the collector can seek out. His less known novels from the early 1970s may be of particular interest. The WaterMethod Man and The 158 Pound Marriage are intriguing titles still available at reasonable prices. Irving has very recently released his latest novel and so is likely to continue to be a popular literary name for some time to come.