Rating: 
Summary: great book!
Review: First off, I'll let you know that I am not an english teacher or an avid reader that looks for all the symbolism and irony and whatnot. I also tend to not finish most of the books that I start...my attention span just doesn't usually last more than 100 pages or so. That being said, I must tell you that this 500+ page book had me captivated from the start. I have never read any John Irving novel before this one, so I guess I was pleasantly surprised by the breathtaking detail that Irving put into this book...from the people to the places to the events, I felt like I was there, part of the characters' lives. The story was amazing to me...not because of any specific literary reason...just because I loved it. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great read.
Rating: 
Summary: A tough read in spots, but well worth it
Review: Irving played a trick on his audience, and the effect is marvelous. Written in 1985, the action in "Rules" takes place mostly in the early-20th century, yet the controversial questions asked seem even more relevant now. Dr. Larch's struggle to help women have either "an abortion or an orphan" is balanced with Homer Wells' struggle with feeling what is right versus doing what is right. This book is a WONDERFUL read that I would highly recommend to anyone, regardless of their views on the abortion debate. However-- well, all kinds of obstetrical procedures are described in some detail, esp. in the first 2/3s of the book. So this is not a good after-dinner or before-bed read for anyone with an active imagination or a weak stomach. Another important point is that this book is not *truly* just about abortion-- it's about "the rules" in everyday life. Who decides what is right? What is fair? What is allowable? Who is suitable? Who is wanted, and who is not? If you want to read a beautiful book that will provoke these kinds of questions within yourself, then pick this one up. You won't be sorry. (NOTE: I've talked to friends who have seen this movie [I have not], and they report that a lot of the book was left out. So even if you've seen the movie-- dig in! There's more to discover between these two covers.)
Rating: 
Summary: Be prepared...
Review: this is NOT a quick read. As with the reviewer below me, I too would have put this book down if it wasn't for the fact that I feel the need to finish every book I start. The truth of the matter is that I really did enjoy the book. The first 250 pages were the hardest to bear. It wasn't so much boring as it was just slow. Mr. Irving, we do not need every single detail of every little thing. I think that was the most troubling for me. If it wasn't for the pace, the details, the time spent on insignificant characters such as the station master I could have gotten hooked early on. The second half I liked. I felt bad for Homer and grew not to like Candy. I don't feel that Irving did such a great job trying to convice us of her love for Homer. It seemed to me that her choice would obviously be....... I am glad that I finished the book, I enjoyed it, although I felt drained and depressed by how it turned out....or was it the time it took me to finish it?
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Story
Review: I've been a John Irving fan for awhile, especially after reading A Prayer for Owen Meany.....The Cider House Rules has only increased my respect for the author. It is a wonderful story with a cast of characters who truly grow in your heart. I loved the setting of the story along the rugged Maine coastline amongst the serenity of the Ocean View apple orchards. Doctor Larch is a truly unforgetable character who is driven by moral demons of his past but is wonderfully giving to his "princes of Maine and kings of New England." I admired the writing style concerning the abortion issue; it is woven into a wonderful story and makes the reader really think about this emotional issue without sounding preachy. The Cider House Rules is one of the best books I've ever read. If I had read it before the movie came out and was Oscar nominated for best picture, I'm sure I would have been rooting for it to win! I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a truly great read.
Rating:
Summary: Great if you like character driven novels and Irving's wit.
Review: You've probably heard that this book is about abortion. In truth, its a book about a "father" and "son"'s struggle to accept one another, as well as a young man's struggle to overcome his own moral hypocrisy. The characters take a walk outside the perimeters of moral limitations, and find themselves questioning whether or not they can live with the choices they've made. Irving's trademark solid gold characterization leaves nothing to be desired, but the plot moves slowly through the middle. If you like Irving, and don't mind repeated references to a woman's right to choose, you'll enjoy this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Unless you have a lot of time to waste, don't read this book
Review: I finished reading Cider House Rules simply because I make myself finish every book I begin, otherwise I would have thrown it away about half way through. I enjoyed the movie very much and I hoped that the book would be as entertaining, but I soon realized it would not be as I hoped. The plot was very much undefined. The author relied on several singular experiences of a crowded cast to further the plot, forcing the reader to struggle through an impossible mess of unnecessary characters and events, most of which were entirely unbelievable. The author was more concerned about telling his personal views on abortion, which I tend to agree with, than he was about telling his story, which I disagree with. I regret wasting my time on this book, and would not recommend it to anyone. The movie was very well done. Watch it and you will enjoy it, but quit while you are ahead. There are millions of great books available, don't waste your time on this one.
Rating:
Summary: A Captivating Group of Characters
Review: I loved this book. I have read other Irving novels (The Hotel New Hampshire, The World According to Garp), and this book solidified my belief that he writes the most interesting and engaging characters that I have ever encountered. By the time I finished the book, I felt that I knew these people, and I regretted turning the last page. Although the treatment of abortion is surely controversial to many, and two of the main characters make some questionable moral decisions, I could not help liking (and even loving) the characters. And, aside from the drama, parts of this book were so funny that I had to struggle to keep myself from laughing out loud. I would recommend this book enthusiastically to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book Club Selection
Review: This book was an interesting selection for our book club. Much of our discussion focused on the various sets of rules that govern the lives of Homer and the other characters in the book, together with the issues of who makes the rules and how are they enforced. There are, of course, the cider house rules - indeed, two sets of them. The rules written by Olive Worthington, although they are based on reason and experience and are designed for the well-being and safety of the residents, have no impact on the residents, who cannot read them. Even Homer, who posts the rules and helps revise them, violates them by lighting a candle when he and Candy are there. When Mr. Rose shows Homer the candle stump, he is indicating to Homer that he knows that Homer and Candy have violated another kind of rule as well. Mr. Rose imposes a very different set of rules for life in the cider house, rules enforced, if need be, by his expertise with a knife. A major theme of the book, of course, is its exploration of the rules that do or should govern abortions. Though both sides of the controversy are presented, in the end the author endorses Dr. Larch's position that the question of abortion should be decided by the women themselves and the best course for men, and specifically for male doctors, is to give women what they want. The book also shows that a subject need not be as momentous as abortion to have its own set of rules. Homer's dates at the drive-in movie lead to his education in those mysterious rules governing what parts of a woman's body he can touch while in the back seat of a car. The most powerful rule in the book is never articulated or even recognized as a rule by the two people whose lives are determined by it. Candy's sense of obligation to Wally and Homer's acquiescence her choice cause them disrupt what we normally consider to be the strongest bonds in nature, the bonds between a loving couple and their child. That Homer with his orphan's life-long yearning for a family loses his only chance to have a normal family shows how powerful this other rule is. Then, too, the tale of Mr. Rose and his daughter also demonstrates that passions, despite their strength, are not always decisive. Sometimes at least, rules rule, even in the cider house.
Rating:
Summary: Yes
Review: I had forgotten how much I enjoyed The World According to Garp and The Hotel New Hampshire until I picked up Cider House Rules. Irving's intricate descriptions of unforgettable characters bring you right to the heart of the story and they don't let you leave until you are finished. I am gratified that while abortion is key to the story, Irving has done a splendid job of not beating us over the head with his view. Is it his best book? Maybe not? But is it clever, funny, sad and wonderful. Yes
Rating:
Summary: Totally Edible
Review: An excellent, textural, sentiment book with superbly written characters and a very satisfying conclusion. Not a book to be taken in huge gulps, but in tiny little bites, so to savor Irving's rich panorama of intricately intertwined lives as they converge and meld into a saga of unbelieveable proportions. Truly a masterpiece.
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