The Cider House Rules

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Summary: A modern american novel of merit
Review: This masterpiece written by John Irving reveals the difficulty that society has with issues like abortion and adoption. This novel was an easy read that became difficult to put down. I enjoyed how Irving wraps the reader around Homer and his life, especially when the ironic scene of his decision on what he will do with the baby. Irving shows how tough of a decision it is for Homer and the rest of society. Abortion has been a major issue for society and politics for the past hundred years, and Irving does an excellent job in showing us why.

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Summary: Junior english project
Review: This masterpiece touches on many controversial subjects of the past hundred years. Irving does an excellent job showing how hard it was for the main character, Homer Wells, to overcome the decision on whether to keep the child he has. Homer is against abortion and never expects to be in a situation where he must choose between abortion and having the baby. Irving wraps us around Homer and his decision, where both are some of the hardest decisions to make in life. An excellent masterpiece that was exceptionally enjoyable to read.

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Summary: well written novel of social import
Review: Through the lonely halls of St. Cloud's orphanage to the painted apple trees of Ocean View Orchards Irving takes the reader along the bumpy roads of life care of Homer Wells, Irving's central character. In this third person narrative Irving's characters make their way through equally difficult lives and face a wide range of reoccurring social problems that manifest as themes, such as; the role of women in society, abortion, homosexuality, war, love, racial prejudices and substance abuse. The major, and controversy, in the novel is over abortion, for as the narrator says, "If you had an ounce of sanity, you would not speak against abortion to Dr. Wilbur Larch."
The greater part of the controversy begins to take shape after Homer Wells' fourth set of adoptive parents, the Winkles, meet their ironic end in a logging mishap. While this tragedy marks the end o f young Homer's search for adoptive parents it does mark the beginning of his early lessons in obstetrical procedure and his future of what Dr. Larch refers to as "being of use."
Despite having failed to find adoptive parents Homer makes the best of his life at St. Cloud's and does his best to live a normal life with his girlfriend and fellow orphan, Melony, while studying obstetrical procedure and becoming an accomplished midwife. Although all appears to be well with Homer the appearance of a young couple leads Homer away from his longtime home and into the wide world around him.
Upon leaving St. Cloud's Irving emerges Homer is a very foreign world filled with vivid metaphors and his typical quirky characters like Herb Fowler, who's introduction to Homer was, "He'd been with Herb less than two minutes when a prophylactic sailed his way and struck him in the forehead." The Cider House Rules is fraught with such quirky character responses which lend the reader the occasional laugh, keeping the reading manageable despite the heavy subject matter Irving's characters continually struggle with.
The Cider House Rules is a very typical Irving novel in its structure, there is no one plotline and the reader is constantly faced with new issues to ruminate over. And despite dealing with one of the largest controversies that faces our present society (abortion) Irving forces no opinion on the reader, simply providing information and accounts and leaving the decision making up to the reader.
While The Cider House Rules is not the comedic feast that is the The World According to Garp it is a wonderful piece that presents a great number of social issues in a new light to a group of readers who might not seek exposure to such controversial issues on a regular basis. For this effort Irving and The Cider House Rules is to be applauded.

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Summary: Cider House Rules
Review: The Cider House Rules, is John Irving's sixth novel, it is a straightforward story that follows the growth of several different characters from their early stages in life to where they reach their total human development.
John Irving was born March 2, 1942 in Exeter, NH; he attended the University of New Hampshire, the University of Iowa, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Vienna. He has written many different novels throughout his career, some of his most common works besides The Cider House Rules have been, The World According to Garp, The Hotel in New Hampshire, and A Prayer for Owen Meany. He has received many awards for his works as well, two of them being for The Cider House Rules.
The Cider House Rules is one of Irving's most daring books; it is filled with moral conflicts where he picks apart society, abortion and family relationships. The first part of the book takes place in St. Cloud, Maine at an orphanage called St. Clouds, where Dr. Larch is the administrator and the illegal abortionist. He is a very kind man who has spent most of his life in this line of work, dedicating his time to taking care of unwanted children. One of the orphans there is Homer Wells, he goes through a series of foster families and none seem to work out for him. He grows up in St. Clouds and becomes Dr. Larch's personal assistant. Dr. Larch wishes for Homer to fill his shoes when the time comes but Homer disagrees with Larch's view on abortion and aspires to find something else. The second part of the novel takes place at an apple orchard owned by Candy Kendall and her boyfriend Wally. Candy had been at St. Clouds earlier to get an abortion, she offered to take Homer up to the orchard and let him work there for a little while. It turns out to be quiet a few years and in that time Homer ends up falling in love with Candy and coming across many new moral obstacles he must figure out how to solve.
This book is an incredible read, it makes the reader think about what their morals are and what they would do if placed in one of the characters situations. The book takes us through sixth decades, sixth decades of wars, elections, love stories, abortion, and family. With each page you become drawn into Irving's themes and 'through chapters at a time the book manages to speak as through the tragedy of a country blinding itself to the history of its own moral progress mattered, and as though a writer's work has to do not with exterminating pity and anger but with animating them. At its best, this novel is an example, now rare, of the courage of imaginative ardor.'(Benjamin DeMott) Yes, the book is almost 600 pages long but they are 600 pages that are definitely worth reading, it is a book that will stay with you forever.

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Summary: Irving incorporates the issues of today
Review: When thinking about The Cider House Rules, I realize that the book goes deeper than what is typed within the novel context. This book takes modern issues of the world today and the author incorporates them in within this book, he is just its going back a few decades. Its takes the controversial subject of abortion and puts both supportive and opposed sides working together. He adds in athleticism and a twisted kind of love and sex within his dialogue as well, which he is known for doing in most of his novels. He added in the issues of racism and race segregation, which is are well known problems of the past and of today in some areas. He has done an amazing job of putting all of these hardships together to help form a character into the person he was born to be. The only downfall to this book is that it starts off slowly and doesn't pick up. So for the readers that need a book to start off interesting this isn't the book for you, but those of you who don't mind and are patient readers, then I encourage you to read this novel, its well worth the time.

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Summary: Cider house rules
Review: The Cider House Rules was the most inspirational, intriguing, and controversial book of this time period. John Irving touches on some of Americas Achilles heels such as Race discrimination, Abortion, incest, and rights for under privilege kids. Irving uses a very honest and entertaining approach to this story. Irving uses very realistic characters, which makes the book that much easier to relate to. This novel of Merit will live on for century's to come I give it five stars for its Creativity, and Honesty.

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Summary: The Cider House Rules
Review: The Cider House Rules, written by John Irving is about the alienation women faced back during the mid-1900's. The book has to do with the on going conflict about abortions and adoption, and the choices that women have to make with these particular topics. The book also has to do with a forbidden love that two people share. It is an extreme love triangle at its worst. Homer and Candy fall in love, but Candy has boyfriend who goes away to war and now she is left alone with Homer. Candy does not know what to do; she is going crazy. "..it is madness in all women to let a secret love kindle within them, which, if unreturned and unknown, must devour the life that feeds it. (216)"
The book begins with a man named Doctor Larch. Larch is an obstetrician who works with one of the most elite practices in Boston, until he is forced to help a woman in need for an abortion. His fellow doctors are greatly against this. Larch leaves Boston and creates an orphanage/hospital called St. Clouds in Maine. Larch believes that women should have a choice. He does not necessarily believe in abortions, but since no one else will perform them, it is not fair to the women. He allows the women to make their own choice, to either have an abortion, or to give the child to the orphanage.
One day Homer Wells is born, and he lives in the orphanage until the age of twenty. He had been adopted 3 times, but none of them ever worked out. Homer never really wanted to be adopted. He always believed he belonged at St. Clouds. Larch loved Homer like a son and as he got older he started teaching Homer everything he knew about obstetrics. Homer became very knowledgeable. He could deliver children himself, and once he saved a woman from dying. As Homer grew, so did his own opinions about abortions. He did not even want to be present when Larch performed one anymore. Larch had always wanted Homer to be a doctor, to take over St. Clouds when Larch could go on no more. Homer did want to be a doctor, but one day that all changed.
Candy and Wally came from Ocean View. Candy needed an abortion. Homer instantly fell in love, but Candy was with Wally. Wally liked Homer. He liked him so much that all three of them became best friends and Homer finally left St. Clouds to go into the apple business. For years he would not return, until his forbidden love had gotten him into a little trouble.
The book is all about the rights and wrongs of life. Homer has to continuously be reminded from Larch that he should be a doctor whether or not he believes in abortions or not. "How can you allow yourself a choice in the matter when there are so many women who haven't the freedom to make the choice themselves? How can you feel free to choose not to help people who are not free to get other help? (518)" Homer thinks he knows the right decision, but when it comes down to it, he changes his mind. Homer faces a lot of challenges being an orphan as well. Sometimes he never felt like he belonged, but he was always loved by so many people. He faces problems that a lot of orphans face today. Candy faces the problems of love. She is in love with one man and at the same time, in love with another. How can a person feel for two people in that sort of way? Then there is Doctor Larch. He faces great decisions everyday with adoption and abortions, and along with it, he is an ether addict. There is a man who cannot even take care of his own problems and here he is taking care of other people. In our society, all of these things are wrong.
The Cider House Rules was an exceptional book. The amount of emotion felt while reading the book was amazing. I couldn't put it down. I love the detail that Irving uses to make the reader feel that deep, lonely emotion. The love that two people have for each other no matter how different they are is beautiful. The book also makes the reader realize that women in trouble, during that time, really did not have many choices. They are going to be alienated either way because that is how it has always been for women in our society. They have never been up to the same status as men. The Cider House Rules has to do with the sacrifice certain men make just for a woman. It was the best book that I have ever read. I find myself always thinking about it, contradicting my own beliefs. I would recommend anyone reading it. My only advice is to have an open mind and do not judge things you may be ignorant about.

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Summary: Intriguing novel
Review: John Irving's Cider House Rules is an intriguing novel. It is thought provoking and challenges the reader's opinions and views. Irving is able to incorporate difficult issues, such as abortion and drug dependency, while maintaining an addicting plot. The novel really connects with the reader to give them first hand insight into to the story. As a reader you feel like a part of the day-to-day situations that arise. The book moves quickly, not allowing the reader to be able to put the book down. The unpredictability and never ending dilemmas make the story intense and powerful: "When Candy got pregnant, she and Wally were much distressed, but they were also surprised" (149).
Irving's writing style also contributes to the fast moving plot, the story incorporates everything that is going on all at one time together so that the reader is able to see the total picture of all the characters and the simultaneous actions. Irving is able to be in the characters' mind. "'One problem thought,' Wilber Larch, dreaming with the stars. 'How do I get Homer to play the part?'" (261). Irving is also able to be in three places at once. From sentence to sentence he is able to change the area of Maine in which the action is going on. "Wilber Larch lay in the dispensary with both the stars of Maine and the stars of ether circling around him...Homer Wells, gazing at the actual stars of Maine and at the orchards visible from the waning moonlight out Wally's window" (261). Cider House Rules is a fast paced story because of Irving's writing style.
This novel comes highly recommended to mature readers; it has something to appeal to all readers and will be able to connect with each in a different way. The topics mentioned in this book are well presented although I would not recommend this book to any reader that's not of high school level maturity, such as abortion and drug addictions, and some places are very graphic in which I would not recommend for younger readers. This novel will appeal to all readers because of the many themes and relationships in the book. There is abortion, pregnancy, orphan life, alcoholism, father/son, lesbians, and abusive family life. There are many different situations that arise and are able to connect with each reader in different ways.
I would highly recommend reading this book if you are looking for intense and mature novel.

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Summary: This is really a great book!
Review: The Cider House Rules is an excellent story and should be on every high school's summer reading list. There were chapters where a scene could be seen so well, that the reader was almost a part of it. One example of this occurs when a young couple pays a visit to the orphanage, they bring jams with them. "Dr. Larch looked around at the children stuffing themselves with honey and jelly. Have they come here to play with the orphans for a day and to make everyone sick? He wondered. He should have looked at Candy: then he would have known why they were there. He was not good at looking in women's eyes, Wilbur Larch: he had seen too much of them under the harsh lights. Nurse Angela at times wondered if Dr. Larch even knew how he tended to overlook women; she wondered if this was an occupational hazard among obstetricians, or if men with a tendency to overlook women were drawn to the obstetrical field." The content is mature, this is not something for a young reader. Abortion, sex, prostitution, and drug abuse are all subjects written about. At times the book goes off on tangents, this can be dry at times, other wise it is a great book that should be highly recommend to any teenager or adult.

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Summary: Surpasses all my expectations
Review: The Cider House Rules written by John Irving was the first Irving novel that I have read. Unknowing what to expect, this novel was very eye catching and full of ambitious and vigorous characters. In this novel, Irving makes a point that every character has a specific role that deals with the main theme of the story, abortion.

The Cider House Rules is a novel mainly taken place at an orphanage is Maine called St. Clouds. The main character is Homer Wells, a young orphan who never really fit into a family and always found his way back to St. Clouds. Throughout the novel Homer gains a very close relationship with the head physician at St. Clouds named Dr. Larch. Dr. Larch is an obstetrician who also preforms abortions. After years of growing up in the orphanage, Dr. Larch finally teaches Homer how to complete his first abortion. Homer decides that completing abortions is an immoral act and somthing that he is not interested in doing. He then leaves the orphanage to expierience life on his own and see what civilization has to offer him. He starts working at an orchard called Ocean View and after a few months he realizes that he does want to go back to St. Clouds and complete the tasks of Dr. Larch.

The story not only deals with the issues of the 19th century but also deals with those of today. Although the novel was long, Irvings sense of lingering the reader on, kept me on my toes and always thirsting for more. This book should be especially read by both sides of the controversial topic of abortion and recommended to all.