The Cider House Rules [Library Binding]

John Irving (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 2009

Part One Of Two Parts

To call St. Cloud a village in the 1920s is to overstate the case -- it's a train station, an orphanage and an abandoned lumber camp. But the place is surprisingly busy, with a steady stream of pregnant women arriving at the station and walking up the long hill to Dr. Wilbur Larch's office at the orphanage.

Dr. Larch, to use the local parlance, does both the Lord's work and the Devil's: he delivers unwanted babies and finds homes for them, he also performs abortions. To Dr. Larch these are not two kinds of work but one.

This is a novel about orphans and Maine apple orchards and 19th century American morals. Beyond that, it deals with fragility of rules and rituals in everyday life. It also warns that, for basics like falling in love or saving lives, rules seem to offer little validity or comfort.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Superb in scope and originality, a novel as good as one could hope to find from any author, anywhere, anytime. Engrossing, moving, thoroughly satisfying."
--Joseph Heller --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

8 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Library Binding: 598 pages
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439568189
• ISBN-13: 978-1439568187
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (366 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,532,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Irving published his first novel, Setting Free the Bears, in 1968. He has been nominated for a National Book Award three times-winning once, in 1980, for the novel The World According to Garp. He also received an O. Henry Award, in 1981, for the short story "Interior Space." In 1992, Mr. Irving was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2000, he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules-a film with seven Academy Award nominations. In 2001, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Last Night in Twisted River is John Irving's twelfth novel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful exploration of the idea of "rules", January 11, 2000

By 

C Wisdom (Redlands, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cider House Rules (Mass Market Paperback)

It amazes me how Irving can broach topics like adoption, abortion, love, faithfulness, etc. with such empathy and balance. This is the only discussion I've ever encountered of abortion, pro or con, that zeroed in on the core issue, then explored both sides of it in such an enlightening manner. And although abortion is a major theme in this novel, it's not what the book is about--it's just a way of discussing the overall theme--rules. It doesn't matter whether you're liberal, conservative, or somewhere in between. Irving will make you think, and give you a chance to question and refine some of your own views, while at the same time read a very engaging story that provokes and entertains from beginning to end.

90 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very moving and superbly crafted story, June 28, 2000

By 

Tung Yin (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cider House Rules (Mass Market Paperback)

You can't evaluate "The Cider House Rules" on the basis of the plot: to say that the book is about an orphan who grows up in an orphanage run by an abortionist, meets a young couple (there for an abortion), leaves with them, and falls in love with the woman, is to miss about 90 percent of what makes the book special.

I've only read one other book by John Irving ("The Hotel New Hampshire"), but it seems to be the case that his novels are so incredibly character-driven. As you read the books, you get the sense that he is so attuned to the people who populate his world that he could write novels centered on any of them.

Now, you are probably aware that the book is somewhat about abortion. Indeed, Irving clearly has a point to make about the pro-choice vs. pro-life debate, and it's pretty clear which side he's on. But at the same time, to say that the book is "about" abortion is like saying that "Casablanca" is about World War 2. Clearly, abortion is inextricably intertwined with the plot and the characters, but the novel is not about abortion; rather, it's about characters who have to make life decisions, including about abortion.

One final note: for better or worse, I tend not to have much patience for "literature." I've read some Dickens, but would never do so for fun. My idea of great literature is "Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson. But . . . I absolutely loved reading "The Cider House Rules" and I was never bored.

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All about choices, February 16, 2000

By 

Jenifer Wells - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cider House Rules (Mass Market Paperback)

This was the first John Irving novel I ever read, back in 1989. I quickly read everything he'd had published, and aside from A Prayer for Owen Meany, this was my favorite. When you read an author's entire catalog in one sitting, you notice their habits and literary devices, and John Irving, while one of my favorite writers, had a tendency to make use of the same images over and over again (dressmaker's dummies, old men with bears and old cars with rusted out floors, etc.). However, Cider House was refreshingly free of those repetitive images, and decidedly different. It skillfully looks at issues ranging from abortion to the conditions of migrant farm workers to fidelity, while all of them are tied together by the single theme of making choices. Every choice made by every character in this novel has repercussions, and it is a mark of the excellent writing that you never feel you're being beaten over the head by the outcomes. I've not seen the movie, so I can't compare it, but if you're looking for a good book, you'll find one here.