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bridge_overbooked's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I’m not sure how to review this book; while I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the central theme of abortion and how it connected everything else in the story, the story was incredibly slow. It reads like the classics that you hated in high school and just needed to get through. Irving paints a vivid picture, but for some things the picture didn’t need to be that vivid…
"The Cider House Rules" follows the life of Homer Wells, an incredibly bright orphan who grows up under the care and teachings of Dr. Wilbur Larch. Homer struggles with his sense of identity and morality as he grapples with his mentor's views on abortion and his own desire to explore the world beyond the orphanage. The novel delves into complex themes such as love, sacrifice, and the nature of family, as Homer ultimately learns to make his own choices and define his own destiny. Through vivid storytelling and memorable characters, John Irving crafts a poignant narrative that challenges societal norms and explores the human condition.
"The Cider House Rules" follows the life of Homer Wells, an incredibly bright orphan who grows up under the care and teachings of Dr. Wilbur Larch. Homer struggles with his sense of identity and morality as he grapples with his mentor's views on abortion and his own desire to explore the world beyond the orphanage. The novel delves into complex themes such as love, sacrifice, and the nature of family, as Homer ultimately learns to make his own choices and define his own destiny. Through vivid storytelling and memorable characters, John Irving crafts a poignant narrative that challenges societal norms and explores the human condition.
foureyez's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition
4.0
While this has been my favorite book since I first read it, and I still adore it the second time around, I've dropped it to a 4-star-I-really-liked-it rating.
Few writers do exposition and depth of detail so well (which, unfortunately, also drags the plot speed regularly). Irving's novel contains comic and eccentric characters in largely unbelievable storylines, and yet, because of the amount of history he pours into their lives, he makes their stories realistic. He creates rich 2oth century New England worlds.
For a story ostensibly about abortion, its restrictions, and the unfortunate consequences of limiting access to it, the Cider House Rules is somehow about so much more. It's a coming-of-age story, what it means to become a man, the dynamics between fathers and sons, the complexity of love shared among multiple people, and ultimately, the rather arbitrary nature of the many rules that govern our lives, if we choose to let them.
Homer Wells, our protagonist, is a rather boorish character, likable and inoffensive, but fairly bland. Even when he does what is considered to be 'the wrong thing,' he acts with such genuineness and amiability, that we have little reason to fault him or throw anger at him. Sadly, he's just not that interesting. For all the unusual things that have happened to him, you'd think he'd have a more intriguing or complex personality.
Dr. Larch, the ether-addict abortionist who "delivers mothers" or "delivers babies," is the real heart of the book. He's a curmudgeon, staunch defender of "doing the Lord's work" as he calls it, and although he is surrounded by people who adore him, he doesn't seem to connect much with them. He remains a tall island. He only begins to express his love of Homer Wells when Homer leaves the orphanage for the great wide world. Larch is the character stand-in for John Irving, also a writer himself, evangelizing about his views on abortion, the injustices of the world, and why we should take advantage of the very few opportunities we have to "play god" in this life. His vulnerabilities are hidden behind a tough New England exterior, but, his character is far more interesting than most, in St. Clouds or Oceanview.
From the plethora of plotlines and characters, Irving forges for us, the one which least interested me was Melanie. She plays a helpful role early on, challenging Homer's timidity, but having read the Cider House Rules a second time, I understand, and greatly appreciate, why they cut her out of the screenplay. She has minimal impact on Homer Wells once he leaves St. Clouds; he thinks nothing of her after the orphanage. Although she is a large impetus behind Homer revealing the "full truth" about him and Candy, there are plenty of other things which could have pricked his conscious to come clean. Cutting out Melanie's plotline would have trimmed the book, and prevented readers from experiencing the third quarter stall that happens in every Irving book, where he loses your attention; "I'll keep reading ONLY because you've done so much for me as a reader in the past and I want to know the resolution."
I finally found the other fault I've struggled to identify in Irving: dialogue. He devotes very little to dialogue. Most of it is delivered in exposition or as thoughts from the narrator. Rarely do we experience a live-action scene of characters talking at length with each other, without an expositional interruption from the narrator. Dialogue reveals the personality of the characters. Irving's characters did very little of that. He does too much telling us about the characters feelings or reactions, and doesn't let them show enough with their dialogue. I want the characters to win me over, not the narrator.
Still, the Cider House Rules charms. I spent two months with the book and am saddened to leave it behind. If I can find a slightly less-Dickensian writer who is masterful with dialogue and writes better female characters, I'd been in literary heaven.
Few writers do exposition and depth of detail so well (which, unfortunately, also drags the plot speed regularly). Irving's novel contains comic and eccentric characters in largely unbelievable storylines, and yet, because of the amount of history he pours into their lives, he makes their stories realistic. He creates rich 2oth century New England worlds.
For a story ostensibly about abortion, its restrictions, and the unfortunate consequences of limiting access to it, the Cider House Rules is somehow about so much more. It's a coming-of-age story, what it means to become a man, the dynamics between fathers and sons, the complexity of love shared among multiple people, and ultimately, the rather arbitrary nature of the many rules that govern our lives, if we choose to let them.
Homer Wells, our protagonist, is a rather boorish character, likable and inoffensive, but fairly bland. Even when he does what is considered to be 'the wrong thing,' he acts with such genuineness and amiability, that we have little reason to fault him or throw anger at him. Sadly, he's just not that interesting. For all the unusual things that have happened to him, you'd think he'd have a more intriguing or complex personality.
Dr. Larch, the ether-addict abortionist who "delivers mothers" or "delivers babies," is the real heart of the book. He's a curmudgeon, staunch defender of "doing the Lord's work" as he calls it, and although he is surrounded by people who adore him, he doesn't seem to connect much with them. He remains a tall island. He only begins to express his love of Homer Wells when Homer leaves the orphanage for the great wide world. Larch is the character stand-in for John Irving, also a writer himself, evangelizing about his views on abortion, the injustices of the world, and why we should take advantage of the very few opportunities we have to "play god" in this life. His vulnerabilities are hidden behind a tough New England exterior, but, his character is far more interesting than most, in St. Clouds or Oceanview.
From the plethora of plotlines and characters, Irving forges for us, the one which least interested me was Melanie. She plays a helpful role early on, challenging Homer's timidity, but having read the Cider House Rules a second time, I understand, and greatly appreciate, why they cut her out of the screenplay. She has minimal impact on Homer Wells once he leaves St. Clouds; he thinks nothing of her after the orphanage. Although she is a large impetus behind Homer revealing the "full truth" about him and Candy, there are plenty of other things which could have pricked his conscious to come clean. Cutting out Melanie's plotline would have trimmed the book, and prevented readers from experiencing the third quarter stall that happens in every Irving book, where he loses your attention; "I'll keep reading ONLY because you've done so much for me as a reader in the past and I want to know the resolution."
I finally found the other fault I've struggled to identify in Irving: dialogue. He devotes very little to dialogue. Most of it is delivered in exposition or as thoughts from the narrator. Rarely do we experience a live-action scene of characters talking at length with each other, without an expositional interruption from the narrator. Dialogue reveals the personality of the characters. Irving's characters did very little of that. He does too much telling us about the characters feelings or reactions, and doesn't let them show enough with their dialogue. I want the characters to win me over, not the narrator.
Still, the Cider House Rules charms. I spent two months with the book and am saddened to leave it behind. If I can find a slightly less-Dickensian writer who is masterful with dialogue and writes better female characters, I'd been in literary heaven.
bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition
5.0
After reading one John Irving novel, he has become my favorite author. He is a crafty writer with a unique ability to create real and singular characters. His focus on the idiosyncracies of his characters provided for authentic and human players.
Cider House tethers on the topic of abortion. Despite the fact that I am a Pro-life advocate, and this novel is flexibly pro-abortion, I greatly appreciated the treatment. I came away surprised at how convincing I found Dr. Larch's defense of abortion. Reading Cider House gave me a new understanding of the issue.
While abortion remains the primary topic, the orphan Homer Wells is the primary subject and mover. Cider House chronicles his life from birth to mid-life, and touchingly shows him pass through key struggles, opportunities and realizations along the way. Homer Wells is a likeable character with a real heart.
Cider House tethers on the topic of abortion. Despite the fact that I am a Pro-life advocate, and this novel is flexibly pro-abortion, I greatly appreciated the treatment. I came away surprised at how convincing I found Dr. Larch's defense of abortion. Reading Cider House gave me a new understanding of the issue.
While abortion remains the primary topic, the orphan Homer Wells is the primary subject and mover. Cider House chronicles his life from birth to mid-life, and touchingly shows him pass through key struggles, opportunities and realizations along the way. Homer Wells is a likeable character with a real heart.
bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition
5.0
Another update*
Something new stands out every time I read The Cider House Rules, this time reminding me just how brutishly Melony's life is spent. I'm humored by how much I found a resonance with Homer Wells upon my earlier readings, now to have greater sympathies with Dr. Larch's temperament.
This time around I appreciated how much more Candy's blend of amiability and strength shined through.
As always, The Cider House Rules serves as a pragmatic corrective to romantic or idealists perspectives on the world.
Update*
My fourth time through this book and I find my views and temperament more akin to that of Dr. Larch than a younger Homer Wells. I still find the Melony character a rather unnecessary element of the novel—wisely omitted from the film screenplay—and still one of my least favorite characters in the John Irving universe.
Ultimately, it's just a joy to be in the deeply detailed world that Irving creates for his readers. Given that he's always revisiting the same ghosts and demons in each of his novels, I'm not sure it really matters whether one reads his newest novel or continues to revisit the older ones.
Nonetheless, still recommend The Cider House Rules to anyone after a dense, multi-generational epic that spares few details about the characters. Irving is heavy on the exposition and character examination. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Something new stands out every time I read The Cider House Rules, this time reminding me just how brutishly Melony's life is spent. I'm humored by how much I found a resonance with Homer Wells upon my earlier readings, now to have greater sympathies with Dr. Larch's temperament.
This time around I appreciated how much more Candy's blend of amiability and strength shined through.
As always, The Cider House Rules serves as a pragmatic corrective to romantic or idealists perspectives on the world.
Update*
My fourth time through this book and I find my views and temperament more akin to that of Dr. Larch than a younger Homer Wells. I still find the Melony character a rather unnecessary element of the novel—wisely omitted from the film screenplay—and still one of my least favorite characters in the John Irving universe.
Ultimately, it's just a joy to be in the deeply detailed world that Irving creates for his readers. Given that he's always revisiting the same ghosts and demons in each of his novels, I'm not sure it really matters whether one reads his newest novel or continues to revisit the older ones.
Nonetheless, still recommend The Cider House Rules to anyone after a dense, multi-generational epic that spares few details about the characters. Irving is heavy on the exposition and character examination. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
mattyvreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Perhaps one of the finest books I have ever read. I devoured every word. Irving is a spectacular author.
What I so appreciate about this book is that each character is so layered and nuanced and complex. Characters that you love have some unavoidable fault. Characters that you hate aren’t written as cartoon villains; the audience even grows fond of some characters before we learn the depth of their cruelty.
I love the way that Irving tells a story. There is an interconnectedness between the characters he creates, even if those characters don’t know each other. Every detail feels so intentional, even something as small as a crushed mosquito on the wall. Everything is important.
Irving is so cool because writes from a pro-choice, anti-war, sexually liberated (and at least a little queer) perspective. He tackles issues of classism and racism, misogyny and abuse. He is enlightened. It is no wonder that this is such a commonly banned book. Conservatives wouldn’t be able to handle the inarguable points he makes in support of safe health care, including safe abortions for anyone that wants or needs one.
There is some dated language in the book, which makes contextual sense given the time period. There’s a little bit of casual fatphobia, but that might be expected in a novel from 1985. Still, Irving seems to land on the “correct side of history” in discussion of socioeconomic and political arguments.
What I so appreciate about this book is that each character is so layered and nuanced and complex. Characters that you love have some unavoidable fault. Characters that you hate aren’t written as cartoon villains; the audience even grows fond of some characters before we learn the depth of their cruelty.
I love the way that Irving tells a story. There is an interconnectedness between the characters he creates, even if those characters don’t know each other. Every detail feels so intentional, even something as small as a crushed mosquito on the wall. Everything is important.
Irving is so cool because writes from a pro-choice, anti-war, sexually liberated (and at least a little queer) perspective. He tackles issues of classism and racism, misogyny and abuse. He is enlightened. It is no wonder that this is such a commonly banned book. Conservatives wouldn’t be able to handle the inarguable points he makes in support of safe health care, including safe abortions for anyone that wants or needs one.
There is some dated language in the book, which makes contextual sense given the time period. There’s a little bit of casual fatphobia, but that might be expected in a novel from 1985. Still, Irving seems to land on the “correct side of history” in discussion of socioeconomic and political arguments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Dementia, Incest, Abortion, and Addiction
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Child death
alexandre_rl's review against another edition
3.0
J'ai mis six semaines pour terminer les 800 et quelques pages qui composent ce roman, mais je pense que j'aurais pu être plus bref. En fait j'ai lu la première moitié très rapidement; les pages qui traitent de la jeunesse du Dr. Larch et de la vie d'Homer à l'orphelinat sont géniales.
À partir du moment où Homer découvre l'amour et déménage à la cidrerie, j'ai un peu décroché. Il y a encore certains moments de grande qualité mais ils sont entrecoupés de longueurs et les personnages me paraissaient moins intéressants. Le roman trouve un second souffle dans les 150 dernières pages et termine en beauté. En définitive je ne regrette pas de l'avoir lu pour sa superbe première moitié qui en vaut amplement la peine.
À partir du moment où Homer découvre l'amour et déménage à la cidrerie, j'ai un peu décroché. Il y a encore certains moments de grande qualité mais ils sont entrecoupés de longueurs et les personnages me paraissaient moins intéressants. Le roman trouve un second souffle dans les 150 dernières pages et termine en beauté. En définitive je ne regrette pas de l'avoir lu pour sa superbe première moitié qui en vaut amplement la peine.
dmfw's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
guppyur's review against another edition
3.0
Solid, though definitely not as good as A Prayer For Owen Meany. As ever, Irving turns a good phrase, develops great characters, and builds a believable world.