The Cider House Rules

An amazing account of an orphanage where the children are truly loved and adopted away with trepidation from the small staff. Although quite different than the movie, which is also terrific, this book has a lot of depth in its characters and nothing is ridiculous.The main character is a lovable baby whom the doctor takes to loving like a son. The child, Homer, has a rich thirst for knowledge as well as a desire to see the world outside the confines of the orphanage, set in Maine.When an opportunity arises to accompany a couple his age to join them back to the --------business, the z Doctor believes it quite beneath him, despite the happiness he finds.Homer's happiness the reader will riot for, because it's written so well, it's impossible not to. His experiences with love, fear, betrayal and other experiences, as well as his deep feelings about------------ will give the reader something unexpected to ponder in their own belief systems.Irving's gift of giving almost every character a unique personality. Some pleasant, some despicable, but all believable...like it or not.Insofar as the orphanage itself, it's written so you'll want to rush there and spend time with all the kids or take a couple home.All in all, if you enjoy the story as much as I did, you'll wish Mr. Irving had written more. Enjoy the book, and even though different, the movie is one of my favorites.I sincerely hope you got something from this review. I'm almost too careful not to include spoilers, I'll wind up not giving enough. Enjoy and Good bless.

John Irving will not disappoint if you are looking for something to challenge your thinking, entertain you with its artful presentation and immerse you in its powerful emotion.

It was sometimes hard to read as it pertains to the subject matter, yet it was very well written and a good story. I loved where the story took us and especially the ending. Joe N

Received in excellent condition. Good price

While the name of this book sounded vaguely familiar when I first saw it on Goodreads, I had no idea what this novel was about and had virtually never heard of it before. Now that I've read the book, I'm seriously confused as to why (a) I've never heard anybody mention it before, and (b) how it's possible that I've never read it before.I absolutely LOVED this book. Even though it was fairly long, I had a very hard time putting it down. And there were only one or two parts that I thought may have been lagging a bit. I was actually quite surprised by how fast-paced it was, considering that it is 600 pages. But I became enthralled with the world of Wilbur Larch and Homer Wells. Their relationship with each other, as well as their own separate worlds, were so captivating.I loved that a huge part of this novel is its focus on abortion, especially because I had previously never read any novels on this topic before. Besides just reading about the different characters' opinions on the subject, I learned so much about abortion culture in the US back in the early 20th century — which, honestly, I didn't even know existed.On top of being a fast-paced read on an intriguing topic, it was also extremely well written. The characterization was my favorite part of the novel. I felt like I truly got to know each and every one of the characters, and I became very attached to them. Irving also made some narrative style choices that I thought were really interesting. At one point (obviously I won't say when), the novel skips forward fifteen years, at a moment when you really, really want to keep reading and find out what's going to happen. I was so surprised by this choice, but I think that it added a lot of depth to the novel. We are able to see how the characters were affected by their decisions and actions in the past, even though we didn't get to experience those things with them at the time. There are a few other choices Irving made that surprised me as well — I definitely appreciated how different and unexpected it was at times.After reading "Cider House Rules," I can't wait to read more from Irving. This novel is now one of my very favorite modern classics. It's a book that everybody should read. As somebody who is pro-choice, I would be interested in seeing how a pro-life reader would react to the story. I don't doubt that many pro-life readers would probably skip over this book, due to its content, but they (and everybody else) should know that there's a lot more to this novel than just its focus on abortion and medicine.

I enjoyed the book after the first 100 pages.

Most people love Garp and Owen Meany. Me, I like Cider House and Widow better.Irving sure can write a good story, and he never leaves a loose end; everything in his books is there for a purpose, and there's virtually no such thing as an insignificant character or event.Cider House is really a morality play beginning in an orphanage that fronts for an abortion clinic. Homer, one of the orphans, grows up there, leaved to follow a girl he's fallen in love with on 1st sight, and becomes beholden and attached to her, her boyfriend, and her family, a family that runs 'an apple business' and hires migrant workers during picking and cider time. The story follows Homer, who seems to be following nothing much (but he's sure not leading!), throughout his life until well into adulthood, and every bit of it counts.And the movie's good, too, with Michael Caine as the infamous ether-addicted doctor in the orphanage.

If you have seen the movie, be prepared to discover a much more involved, enticing, and interesting tale in the novel’s 600 pages. John Irving notes in his brief “Afterword” at the end of the book that the plot of book is far more complicated than the compressed version he adapted as a screenplay, and that compression resulted in some rather significant alterations and omissions. Among the alterations are the relationships between Homer and Wally, between Homer and Candy, and the matter of time passage. Omitted were an Angel and the book-length character of Melony (who would have been a Melody but for an errant key stroke), and their roles in the novel are of a nature that changes the complexion of the story in a substantial way.Another thing worth noting is that that this story has two main characters; the ether-addicted Dr. Wilbur Larch and orphan cum-doctor Homer Wells. While this may possibly create focus issues for the reader, it is unlikely to inhibit enjoyment of this marvelous literary work that is marked with humanity, kindness, and wisdom. Iriving is a powerful storyteller.Now, if you have not seen the movie but are contemplating purchasing this book, be aware that it deals frequently with abortion and in most of those from a decidedly pro-choice perspective. John Irving, writing “Rules” in the mid-80’s (about a much earlier period), was very cognizant of the legalization debate brewing, escalating, in the U-S and elsewhere, and it is likely (I strongly believe) that this book served as an eye-opener for many. But, as my headline to this review emphasizes the debate has again erupted, and I am personally saddened, nay angered, that (in the U-S) women are once more being denied dignity and the fundamental right of choice.

Long but never once boring.Great characters, all very human and more or less flawed in interesting ways.Intense but easy to digest storytelling.Recommended but do bring your sandwiches

Probably one of my favorite books of all time. I read this 3 months ago and I still think about it. Would recommend!

Sincero, schietto, profondo, con descrizioni fulminanti, una prosa moderna e personaggi non tagliati con l'accetta ma dalla psicologia estremamente complessa. Ci si sente vicini a tutti, alle ragioni dell'uno e dell'altro, anche se opposte, iscritte in valori etici agli antipodi. L'ho amato moltissimo.

Excellent. Un peu déconcertant. Différent. Le sujet et son traitement sont inédits.