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John Irving's classic novel about a troubled doctor, the conflicted young orphan he mentors, and what it means to be of use in the world—the basis for the Academy Award–winning film starring Tobey Maguire, Michael Caine, and Charlize Theron.
Homer Wells grows up in a rural Maine orphanage under the tutelage of Dr. Wilbur Larch, a physician who both delivers babies and performs illegal abortions. Dr. Larch trains Homer in obstetrics and gynecology, hoping the boy will follow in his footsteps. Yet Homer refuses, unwilling to conduct the procedures.
Homer seizes the opportunity to leave the orphanage after meeting Wally and Candy, an attractive couple who come to Dr. Larch seeking an abortion. While working on the apple orchard owned by Wally's parents, Homer falls in love and soon begins an illicit affair. Fifteen years later, a shocking discovery leads Homer to back to the orphanage—and to a decision that will ultimately alter the course of his life.
First published in 1985, The Cider House Rules explores the nature of love, the complexities of found family, and the unpredictable consequences of our moral choices.
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (5/28/2026)
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney for book club. Queen Esther by John Irving. I am loving the references to Cider House Rules.. Had to rewatch the movie.
-Jolene_Blankley
Did you read any books in 2025 that are widely considered classics? If so, which ones and why?
OK, so after I posted this question of the week, I got to wondering what would be considered a classic. What do you think? The only three I've read that I'd say most people would call classics are: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Lolita by Vladimir...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (11/6/2025)
...Allen Levi for review. The two books I just finished were so intense I'm hoping Green's novel will be a bit lighter. In audiobook format, I finished The Cider House Rules by John Irving, which I loved. Coincidentally, the author's latest novel, https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/22144/queen-est...
-kim.kovacs
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (10/16/2025)
Glad you enjoyed Whalefall! Keep an eye out for the movie which is supposed to be in the works for next October release. Hope they can do right by the book's combination of thrill and emotion. Also have been thinking of John Irving lately, my fave is "…Owen Meaney", Cider House Rules is lovely an...
-Connie_K
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (10/09/2025)
In hard copy I finished https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/5101/bad-bad-girl Bad Bad Girl by Gish Jen. It received four or five starred reviews (Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, etc.) and it's definitely worth the hype. Any woman who's had a difficult relationship with her...
-kim.kovacs
What was your last 5-star read, and what made you choose it?
I recently read The Cider House Rules by John Irving which was a recommendation by my favorite fiction author. This book wa son my TBR list for a long time and it's one I'm glad I finally made time to r...
-Jill_Mercier
"Witty, tenderhearted, fervent, and scarifying ... This novel is an example, now rare, of the courage of imaginative ardor." —The New York Times Book Review
"Irving is in top form in this capacious novel of personal discovery... . Deft realism in both scene and characterization ... The Cider House Rules is a mature, entertaining novel." —Library Journal
This information about The Cider House Rules was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
John Winslow Irving was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, in 1942. His novels include The World According to Garp, The Hotel New Hampshire, The Cider House Rules, A Prayer for Owen Meany, A Son of the Circus, and Last Night In Twisted River. Irving is married and has three sons; he lives in Toronto and in southern Vermont.
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