Product Description

Set among the apple orchards of rural Maine, it is a peverse world in which Homer Wells' odyssey begins. As the oldest unadopted offspring at St Cloud's orphanage, he learns about the skills which, one way or another, help young and not-so-young women, from Wilbur Larch, the orphanage's founder -- a man of rare compassion and an addiction to ether.Dr Larch loves all his orphans, especically Homer Wells. It is Homer's story we follow, from his early apprenticeship in the orphanage surgery, to his adult life running a cider-making factory and his strange relationship with the wife of his closest friend.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23103 in Books
• Published on: 1986-07-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 731 pages

From the Publisher
reviews
'Funnier than Garp…it's an irresistibly readable yarn spun by a master's voice' Time Out

'John Irving has been compared with kurt Vonnegut and J.D.Salinger but is arguably more inventive than either. Wry, laconic, he sketches his characters with an economy that springs from a feeling for words and mastery over his craft. This superbly original book is one to be read and remembered' The Times

'The Cider House Rules is difficult to define and impossible not to admire' Daily Telegraph

'Like the rest of Irving's fiction, it is often disconcerting, but always exciting and provoking' Observer

From the Back Cover
Set among the apple orchards of rural Maine, it is a perverse world in which Homer Wells' odyssey begins. As the oldest unadopted offspring at St Cloud's orphanage, he learns about the skills which, one way or another, help young and not-so-young women, from Wilbur Larch, the orphanage's founder, a man of rare compassion with an addiction to ether.

Dr Larch loves all his orphans, especially Homer Wells. It is Homer's story we follow, from his early apprenticeship in the orphanage, to his adult life running a cider-making factory and his strange relationship with the wife of his closest friend.

About the Author
John Irving was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, in 1942, and he once admitted that he was a 'grim' child. Although he excelled in English at school and knew by the time he graduated that he wanted to write novels, it was not until he met a young Southern novelist named John Yount, at the University of New Hampshire, that he received encouragement. 'It was so simple,' he remembers. 'Yount was the first person to point out that anything I did except writing was going to be vaguely unsatisfying.' In 1963, Irving enrolled at the Institute of European Studies in Vienna, and he later worked as a university lecturer. His first novel, Setting Free the Bears, about a plot to release all the animals from the Vienna Zoo, was followed by The Water-Method Man, a comic tale of a man with a urinary complaint, and The 158-Pound Marriage, which exposes the complications of spouse-swapping. Irving achieved international recognition with The World According to Garp, which he hoped would 'cause a few smiles among the tough-minded and break a few softer hearts'. The Hotel New Hampshire is a startlingly original family saga, and The Cider House Rules is the story of Doctor Wilbur Larch - saint, obstetrician, founder of an orphanage, ether addict and abortionist - and of his favourite orphan, Homer Wells, who is never adopted. A Prayer for Owen Meany features the most unforgettable character Irving has yet created. A Son of the Circus is an extraordinary evocation of modern day India. He is also the author of the international bestsellers A Widow for One Year, The Fourth Hand and Until I Find You. A collection of John Irving's shorter writing, Trying to Save Piggy Sneed, was published in 1993. Irving has also written the screenplays for The Cider House Rules and A Son of the Circus, and wrote about his experiences in the world of movies in his memoir My Movie Business. Irving has had a life-long passion for wrestling, and he plays a wrestling referee in the film of The World According to Garp. In his memoir, The Imaginary Girlfriend, John Irving writes about his life as a wrestler, a novelist and as a wrestling coach. He now writes full-time, has three children and lives in Vermont and Toronto.

Customer Reviews

Compelling
The Cider House Rules is an engrossing saga that slowly draws the reader into the lives of Dr. Wilbur Larch and the young orphan, Homer Wells. Not only does it follow their unusual relationship over many years but woven into the story is a series of sub-plots, involving secondary characters, which build the book into a true drama. Often quirky, but quintessentially human, the characters are given colour by compelling descriptions of their, often odd, attitudes, beliefs and interactions with others - the historical and geographical details are all effortlessly woven into this beautifully crafted story. In the context of a novel, social commentary abounds in the story without ever voyaging into the realms of a historical novel or descriptive narrative - the book stays constantly loyal to the journey through life of Dr. Larch and Homer. The true strength of this book is how it subtly draws you in, at first the behaviour of the characters seems completely alien and they appear to be a product of a bygone time. However, as the book progresses you pick-up poignant insights into their motives. For me, the true genius of this book is the empathy you feel with the characters, especially those that are not immediately appealing. This is a very human book which deals with the subject of abortion, often a taboo subject, particularly in American society, with human feeling and without passing judgement.

Never read Irving ? Got some time ?
Most people come across Irving via "A Prayer for Owen Meany", which has a startling fanatical following. "Cider House" is a better story: ok, its hardly concise, ok, he lulls you almost to boredom before dropping the gore on you, or better yet, making you laugh out loud - ever wondered what goes through a toddler's mind sliding down a hill in a cardboard box and having his forward progress halted by a corpse ? - but sometimes, as in this book, his prose becomes poetic. Let it roll over you, if you've never read Irving, this is the one to try.

Gripping, enthralling, challenging...
I loved this book; the 'cast' contains a number of memorable characters who are well-drawn and likeable. The book deals with love, morality and culture and is a fascinating and challenging read. The author includes notes which suggest he has done a reasonable amount of research into the medical and apple-growing procedures which are discussed.
This book challenged my own sense of morality and ethics, particularly around the area of abortion.
It is also very funny! Definitely a must-read.
I guess any Irving book will always be compared with Owen Meaney and Garp; to my mind, this is the best I've read.