The Cider House Rules

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Summary: Rules to be broken
Review: The cider house rules is the story of Homer Wells, an orphan who fails to belong to other families besides the orphanage, St. Cloud's, and Dr. Larch who runs the orphanage, performing obstetrical surgery and abortion illegally. When Homer becomes old enough to live by himself, he leaves the St. Cloud's to experience society. Working at the orchard, Ocean's view, Homer goes through some unordinary events which teach him that the world is ethically complicated. This experience helps Homer understand Dr. Larch's job and drags him back to the St. Cloud's as an obstetrician and an abortionist. At the end of the book, showing this understanding between Homer and Dr. Larch, Irving sums up the theme of the book: individuals defining and negotiating their own rules breaking social regulations.

Dr. Larch has his own rules regarding abortion. Abortion is illegal but Larch performs it when he is asked to, and when it is safe. Larch sees the unborn babies as just the "products", not as human beings. Homer also performs abortion but has rules of his own - just because he want to be of use for somebody. Through this story, Irving suggests that the rules are negotiable and changeable, in other words, they are made to be broken.

Although the bizarre events that annoy readers, The Cider House Rules succeeds to show the reality of society where rules are made and broken. Throughout the story, Irving's intense writing style didn't let me stop reading in spite of the great length of it. Start reading the book if you have a chance, then you'll know that The Cider House Rules is definately a masterpiece of literature

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Summary: This story is a tear jerker.
Review: The book started out very slow because it gives you a lot of background information. It took me awhile to get pass the first few chapters, but then the story picked up. I loved this book. The book is ten times better than the movie. I recommend you to read the book before ever thinking about watching the movie. The movie gives away the ending. The book explores Homer Wells' life for about 40 years but focuses on the ages 20-40. After twenty years of his life at St. Cloud's, Homer Wells is the oldest orphan and he plans to get away from the crying babies and sick patients of St. Cloud's hospital/orphanage. His life changes when he meets a patient, Candy. Homer instantly falls in love with Candy. Candy's boyfriend, Wally, offers Homer a ride back to their little town, Hart's Rock. He then offers Homer a job at his family's apple orchard. While in Hart's Rock Homer is conflicted with choices to stay at Hart's Rock with his lover, Candy, or to go back to St. Cloud's to take Dr. Larch's position as a doctor and illegal abortionist. I felt a vicarious emotional overload with this touching story about an orphan who learns to love and to be loved.

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Summary: Cider House Rules, Lauck's Review
Review: John Irving's book The cider House Rules is a classic depervation how random life can be. Irving uses Homer as the central player in this love is life game. Irving keeps the reader interested by using unique sexual motifs as catch points and an unpredictable begining phrase of 'abortion' to initaily draw the reader in. Along with sex being the plot of the story there are also inner theames of drug abuse, child abuse, adoption, love, death,and happiness.

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Summary: Right or Wrong
Review: For the beach, before bedtime, or just for fun The Cider House Rules, written by John Irving, is a book you cannot put down no matter where you decide to read it. Irving creates his central character as Homer. He develops Homer's personality and life into someone the reader can deeply sympathize with and then developing the plot and the ending in some ways never imagined by the reader. Irving skillfully creates a novel contemplating the rights and wrongs of abortion, addiction, and love.

The Cider House Rules takes place at St. Cloud's, an orphanage and an illegal abortion clinic. Dr. Larch is in charge of both the orphanage and the clinic. The orphans do not usually know that the orphanage is also used as an abortion clinic. As some orphans get older, like Mary Agnes Cork, they start to realize, "...the women walking uphill from the train station...don't look pregnant"(327). One boy that does find out the truths about St. Clouds is Homer Wells, one of the orphans at St. Cloud's who is never able to find a home. Dr. Larch teaches Homer everything he needs to know to become a very skilled midwife and abortionist. Homer develops these skills very well and can deliver a new born without any help from Dr. Larch. Homer's experiences eventually carries him beyond the walls of the orphanage where he develops strong friendships, a place to live, and a place to work. This new lifestyle change creates challenging encounters in Homer's life.

This novel written by John Irving can be easily related to many contemporary issues including abortion, war, and relationships. The book creates paths for the reader to view different perspectives of controversies brought up in the book like abortion. This novel is worth reading and it is an intriguing book that you cannot put down. I recommend The Cider House Rules to anyone searching for a fascinating and comprehendible book to read.

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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. Homer Wells is a character with whom a reader empathize with. There were chapters where a scene could be seen so well, that the reader was almost a part of it. One example of occurs when a young couple pays a visit to the orphanage where the first half of the story takes place. They bring with them jams and jellies from the apple orchard where they live. '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 of the book is mature so this is not something for a young reader. Abortion, sex, prostitution, and drug abuse are all subjects written about. The Cider House Rules is a great book, however if there was any downside, it would be that 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: Cider House Rules
Review: John Irving's Cider House Rules takes issues everyone tries to avoid and throws them in your face in their rawest forms. Irving reveals everyday emotions then distorts them to fit the main characters. Dealing wiht issues such as abortion, rape, love and lonelyness, Irving makes you uneasily intreged with his gritty, disturbing but truthful details. This novel battles with the freedom of choice proving that no opinon is final until that opinon is exercised through experience. Revealing these characters, Irving takes them to their most uncomforable levels, pulling the reader along.
Although a wonderful book, Cider House Rules is not your leisure reading. Be prepared to feel. As the plot advances the more you find yourself engaged in every emotion. Cider House Rules is a great book very well written and witty to say the least. 2 thumbs up for John Irving's master piece Cider House Rules.

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Summary: Cider House Rules - an excellent novel
Review: The Cider House Rules is the first novel I have read by the renowned John Irving. Irving's attention to detail in every aspect of his novel helps to develop it extensively. His ingenious plot includes a vast array of characters whose stories are told so vividly that one is able to feel as if one is apart of their lives. Irving explores the lives of three generations and carries the audience on the various journeys of their lives. He addresses the controversial issue of abortion and presents the readers with both sides of the issue. He conveys his opinion subtly yet firmly without writing in a didactic style. The Cider House Rules is a captivating and thought- provoking novel from beginning to end. Irving's plot has the makings of a classic; it is filled with love, death, conflict, suspense and tragedy all in six hundred pages. Irving's humor and ribald language give the novel a bit of an edge over other modern novels which are somewhat conservative. Though Irving builds up his protagonist, Homer Wells to be a child who would become an honorable man despite all his hardships, he does the opposite and leaves his audience a bit disappointed when Homer falls into a life filled deceit and dishonor. This takes away from the novel a bit, nevertheless, Irving does an excellent job. The Cider House Rules has the makings of a very good book.

Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: When rethinking The Cider House Rules, words that come to mind are; compelling captivating and intriguing. John Irving skillfully addresses the highly controversial subject of abortion, elaborately weaving it into a masterpiece novel. Every character whether major or minor, was developed to the point of perfection, becoming almost lifelike. The situations they were placed in were intricate, making for good reading despite the sometimes predictable outcomes. Irving's writing style remained consistently intense throughout the novel thus gripping the reader and motivating them to read forth. Even through the slightly dreary parts I could not put the book down, for I knew that it would soon pick up again. The end of the book left me in awe, and yearning for more. Overall a terrific book highly recommended for the curious and open-minded.

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Summary: Cider House Rules
Review: John Irving's The Cider House Rules is an amazing book. When you read it, you're captured by the mental conflicts the characters go through. The issues in the story, that takes place many years ago, continue to be issues presently and will most likely challenge people forever. Irving's mature themes and writing makes the book a little difficult to read, however, it is realistic for most high school students to be able to get through it. There is not one person who won't find interest in this book; it contains themes and characters that relate to everyone.
While there are some parts of the book that are predictable, many surprises come along. It is amazing how Irving can make a story about a boy finding his way such a fascinating book. The reader is able to see the changes a person goes through from childhood to adulthood and on. If anyone is looking for a good book to read over the summer while at the beach, this should be what you reach for.

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Summary: Brilliant and quirky -- Irving at his best
Review: An amazing, quirky tale. Cider House cements Irving's status as one of America's top story-tellers. His approach to such controversial topics as substance abuse and abortion is deft and thought-provoking, and his development of the relationships between Homer, Dr. Larch and the orphans is masterful. Irving is a keen observer of human behavior and as fine a novelist as America has ever produced. Cider House Rules ranks among my three favorite modern novels, along with The World According to Garp and Dead Hand Control. The latter, by newcomer Tim Stutler, has a style and wit that are original but reminiscent of Irving's best work.