Product Description

"AN OLD-FASHIONED, BIG-HEARTED NOVEL . . . with its epic yearning caught in the 19th century, somewhere between Trollope and Twain . . . The rich detail makes for vintage Irving."
--The Boston Sunday Globe

"The Cider House Rules is filled with people to love and to feel for. . . . The characters in John Irving's novel break all the rules, and yet they remain noble and free-spirited. Victims of tragedy, violence, and injustice, their lives seem more interesting and full of thought-provoking dilemmas than the lives of many real people."
--The Houston Post

"John Irving's sixth and best novel . . . He is among the very best storytellers at work today. At the base of Irving's own moral concerns is a rare and lasting regard for human kindness."
--The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Entertaining and affecting . . . John Irving is the most relentlessly inventive writer around. He proliferates colorful incidents and crotchets of character. . . . A truly astounding amount of artistry and ingenuity."
--The San Diego Union

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #55405 in Books
• Published on: 1993-12-09
• Released on: 1994-01-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 598 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780345387653
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

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


From the Hardcover edition. -- Review

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


From the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher
How can anyone not love a book that simultaneously tells a deeply moving and compelling story AND explore the abortion debate with humor and evenhandedness? John Irving is my favorite author and while A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY is my favorite Irving title, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES is right up there. I love how deeply Irving knows these characters and how gradually he reveals their quirks and idiosyncracies. He knows and loves them so much, the reader can't help but love the ether-imbibing Dr. Larch and his surrogate son, the orphan Homer Wells. Irving is a consummate storyteller.

M. Coolman
Ballantine Publicity

Customer Reviews

Very moving and superbly crafted story
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.

A thoughtful exploration of the idea of "rules"
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.

All about choices
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.