...the story of Wilbur Larch, a physician, philosopher, obstetrician, and abortionist at St. Cloud's orphanage and his ward, apprentice, and surrogate son, Homer Wells. It follows the two men (the childless father and the fatherless son) through decades of love, tragedy, hilarity and moral arguements. It is at once heartbreaking and life affirming.
- Random House
Reader from USA:
John Irving has this incredible ability to create complex, interesting characters and place them in the most unusual situations. I was completely fascinated by this book. From the perennial orphan Homer, to the misnamed Melony, to the ether-addicted and opinionated Dr. Larch, all of the characters were real and very different. You understand their motivations and emotions, even if you don't always agree with them. One thing that I really liked about this book is that. although it dealt with many important social issues (such as abortion and racism), it was never preachy. Rather than coming right out and blatantly stating his opinions, Irving skillfully weaves the issues into the plot for the reader to interpret.
Reader from Chicago, IL:
Irving is a storyteller on par with Dickens, whom he refers frequently in this book. His characters are distinctively drawn. You get to know them slowly and find yourself really caring about them. While some of them at times may seem larger than life, they never cease to be real. (The story also happens to be terrific, but it's the characters who profoundly struck me.)
CRITICS' REVIEWS:
Benjamin DeMott
NY Times
By turns witty, tenderhearted, fervent and sacrificing, The Cider House Rules is, for me, John Irving's first truly valuable book.
The storytelling is straightforward-- not the case with his huge commercial success, The World According to Garp (1978). The theme is in firm focus-- not the case with The Hotel New Hampshire (1981). The novelist's often-deplored weakness for the cute and trendy, although still evident, is here less troubling.
Far more important, The Cider House Rules has a public dimension-- could, indeed play a significant assuasive role in an American social conflict that is now dangerously exacerbated. The book is, to be sure, a novel (the author's sixth), not a tract; it follows several human lives from youth to maturity, gripping our attention as chronicle rather than argument.
(5-26-85)
