The Cider House Rules by John Irving

 

Homer Wells has spent all his life at St. Cloud's Orphanage. Doctor Wilbur Larch, the orphanage's director, hopes that one day Homer will take over the vital work he does. All Homer dreams of is a family of his own.

I first read The Cider House Rules by John Irving almost forty years ago, having discovered the author when I read a battered copy of The World According To Garp. I quickly read everything by the author I could lay my hands on, and from 1986 his books became ones I'd purchase as soon as they were published. When I discovered there was going to be a sequel to The Cider House Rules, I knew I'd have to re-read the book to remind myself of the story.

A forty-year gap between reads meant that the book was virtually a new read; I remembered vague elements of the story, but much of that probably comes from the themes that run through lots of the author's novels. It's a hefty read at just under 800 pages, the longest novel I've read in a long time, but the style of writing just draws you in. Even the smallest characters are fleshed out, and you can clearly visualise each and every one. 

What really surprised me as I read was how relevant the book still is today. One of the major themes of the story is women's right to choose. Dr. Larch sees himself as doing God's work; on one hand, he's saving children by running an orphanage for unwanted children, on the other, he's saving women by performing procedures on those with unwanted pregnancies. Set in a time when these procedures were frequently carried out in unsanitary backrooms by people without medical training, the descriptions are bleak and brutal, showing the extremes women were prepared to face. Dr. Larch offers a non-judgmental alternative.

Another big theme that runs throughout the story is that of family. The orphanage is isolated and relatively poor, yet the children are showered with love. The bond between Homer and Larch is like that of a father and son. Larch is torn, just like any father, he wants Homer is leave and find his place in the world, but at the same time he would love Homer to stay and take over the vital work he does. When Homer does leave, he is welcomed into the Worthington family, a family that treats him like a son, the family he has always dreamt of. All the threads combine to show that family is more than just blood.

Many of the themes that recur in John Irving's novels are seen in the narrative; the consequences of war, religion and sexuality run throughout. Themes such as wrestling and writing get brief mentions, but don't feature as heavily as they do in some of the author's other novels. 

While I did enjoy the re-read, I still wouldn't put this near the top of my favourite novels by the author. However, I am now tempted to re-read some of his other novels, to look at them with a fresh eye and see if they've stood the test of time as well as this one has. I'm also eager to read the sequel, Queen Esther, which is published on 6th November.

Author Details

John Irving published his first novel, Setting Free the Bears, in 1968. He has been nominated for a National Book Award three times-winning once, in 1980, for the novel The World According to Garp. He also received an O. Henry Award, in 1981, for the short story "Interior Space." In 1992, Mr. Irving was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2000, he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules-a film with seven Academy Award nominations. In 2001, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.