Cider House Rules - The Novel |
| |
|
|
Author:
John Irving
By Black Swan
Average Customer Rating:  
List Price: £8.99
Our Price: £3.01
|
|
|
|
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780552992046
ISBN: 0552992046
Label: Black Swan
Manufacturer: Black Swan
Number Of Pages: 704
Publication Date: 1986-07-01
Publisher: Black Swan
Studio: Black Swan |
|
- New
- Mint Condition
- Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
- Guaranteed packaging
- No quibbles returns
|
|
|
|
Product Description
Books Sold by IBX
|
|
Another work of genius, 2010-05-17
There's no doubt about it: John Irving is a genius. I don't know of any other author to whom I've given three of his books five stars, but this is another, and I've yet to read several of his novels.
He produces storylines whose twists and turns are crafted carefully to be convincing yet never predictable; a range of characters that stay in the mind for a long time after putting down the book; research on a variety of topics that makes you believe he's an expert on them all, and also the little things, the motifs and phrases that become almost the catchphrases of the novel.
In Cider House Rules, all of these apply. The life of the unforgettable Homer Wells, as he moves from his orphanage that did the "Lord's work" as an aside, to the apple farm where he became manager and lover, was fascinating and detailed. His relationships with crazy Melony, the beautiful Candy, fighter Wally and, of course, his mentor, Wilbur Larch contribute to his development from gauche orphan to principled and respected father. I learned about the state of Maine, about abortion techniques, and cider making and much more a I followed the plot of this wonderful book.
The Cider House Rules by John Irving, 2010-06-29
I loved this book about Homer Wells an Orphan born at St Clouds orphanage in Maine. Everyone loves his sweet disposition yet all the adoptions set up for Homer Wells are unsuccessful! Wilbur Larch the patriarch of St Clouds, loves Homer like a son and is secretly glad!
Wilbur Is addicted to ether from his younger days when he contracted Gonorrhoea from a prostitute that his father organised as a right of passage. He sees 2 women die in terrible pain because of botched abortions and decides he will do all he can to stop it happening to other women, so he performs abortions,( always safely but always in secret) or delivers a live baby to women that want their babies adopted, but he always wants to make things easy for these poor women.
He has plans for Homer Wells, but has to let him have a life of his own, to make sure they come to fruition! We see Homer trying to find happiness, but always feel that there is something missing for him. He falls into an unpassionate relationship with Melony another lonely orphan at St Clouds, but it was never going to last as Melony was angry MOST of the time and frightened Homer ALL of the time! the relationship fizzles out naturally and Meloney spends the rest of her adult life searching for the hero she thought Homer was going to be.
The story is complex and very very touching, I so wanted happiness for Homer but it never fully arrived and I was a little disappointed in how we see Melony at the end.
I loved this book and would recommend it wholeheartedly.
Cider House Rules - The Novel
 Amis Irving, 2010-05-12
John Irving needs a good editor, one who is not in awe of the author. Judging by this novel, the first of Irving's that I've read, I won't read another. Great characters and plot buried under more than 700 pages of overwritten, self-regarding prose that reminds me of an American version of Martin Amis.
Irving should be forced to write his next novel longhand, in order to avoid the repetition and be reminded of the old adage: 'Every writer kills his/her darlings'. I'm halfway into this book, feeling homicidal. Yet I continue wading on, through a cloying marsh of clever, unnecessary sentences and paragraphs, lured only by the author's great reputation. Did his reviewers actually read the book from cover to cover - or skip the dull bits?
Irving constantly references Dickens here, but if he has Great Expectations of following in that author's footsteps (in form as well as length), he should remember that Charlie was being paid by the word, and his books were serialised.
Sigh. Back to the old grind.....but bring on the axe. I fear there are too many bleak streets ahead.
A book to take with you through life's journey, 2010-01-04
Comfortably Irvings best. I would recommend you read A prayer for Owen Meany and The World According to Garp first as good as they are, they will disapoint after this book. The characters are believable as are the settings with both the orphanage and the farm pictured so vividly in my minds eye. I remember looking up from the book and wondering where all the time went. Beware though......Irving is either brilliant or so bad it is painful, all Irving fans, you may have noticed, talk about the three books mentioned in this review as the rest of Irvings work is sadly instantly avoidable.
just love this book, 2010-05-14
I've read this book several times and it always amazes me , it's funny, sad , moving and makes you think , I'd recoomend this to anyone, even if part of the subject matter,abortion is a bit of a touchy subject
|
