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The Cider House Rules Audiobook
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(4.00) - 69,102 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Adapted into an Academy Award-winning film and one of John Irving's most beloved novels, The Cider House Rules is the story of a kind but complex doctor and the conflicted young orphan he takes under his wing.
“A novel as good as one could hope to find from any author, anywhere, anytime. Engrossing, moving, thoroughly satisfying.” —Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22
In the quiet, rural landscape of Maine, the St. Cloud's orphanage stands as a refuge for the unwanted. It is run by the eccentric and compassionate Dr. Wilbur Larch, a man who is both a saint and a sinner in the eyes of the world. He serves as an obstetrician, delivering babies for women in need, while also providing illegal abortions, a service he believes is his moral duty.
Among the orphans is Homer Wells, Dr. Larch’s devoted protégé. Trained in medicine by Larch, Homer is destined to take over the orphanage. However, Homer is fundamentally opposed to performing abortions, creating a deep conflict between his beliefs and his loyalty to his mentor.
Seeking to forge his own path, Homer leaves St. Cloud's to work an apple orchard for the wealthy Worthington family. There, he builds a new life and falls in love, but he cannot escape the pull of his past or the complex questions of right and wrong that Dr. Larch instilled in him. This epic tale explores the intricate nature of found family, the unpredictability of love, and the profound choices that define who we are meant to be.
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"I'm a late-comer to John Irving, but am so glad I finally found his work last year. He has an amazing way of combining sad elements with humor and making outlandish or extreme predicaments feel real. His manor of writing is also incredibly smooth -- particularly in the way he shifts back and forth between different characters and storylines. For a book with so much abortion, abandonment, misplaced idealism and disappointment, this book never really felt like a downer. The characters are all very deep and real, and though there are clearly political viewpoints being expressed through the themes of the novel, they never seem heavy-handed, but instead rather personal and real."
— Lee (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Witty, tenderhearted, fervent, and scarifying.”
— New York Times -
“Gardner understands and conveys the book’s sly humor and comprehension of human foibles.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“Entertaining and affecting…A truly astounding amount of artistry and ingenuity.”
— San Diego Union -
“John Irving’s best novel…He is among the very best storytellers.”
— Philadelphia Inquirer -
“John Irving is the American Dickens. Rich in characterization, epic in scope, The Cider House Rules is the heart-wrenching story of orphan Homer Wells and his guardian, Dr. Wilbur Larch. With nods of affection to both David Copperfield and Jane Eyre, Irving’s novel follows Homer on his journey from innocence to experience, brilliantly depicting the boy’s struggle to find his place in the world. Irving also wrote an Oscar-winning screenplay for the 1999 film adaptation of the novel that starred Michael Caine, Tobey Maguire, and Charlize Theron.”
— Barnes & Noble, editorial review -
“In this funny, sad, touching bestseller…Grover Gardner serves up the beautiful prose and fascinating characters with considerable aplomb. Without actually adopting a full-fledged accent, he manages to give us the feel of New England vocal cadences in the narrative. Picture yourself sitting on a front porch on a lazy autumn evening with a longtime area resident as he leisurely spins some fascinating local history. That’s the effect Gardner produces. Actually, he only seems unhurried, for he keeps the action moving with sensitivity to its rhythms and trajectories. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
The Cider House Rules Listener Reviews
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" beautifully written. Not a book you can read in a day as it spans a long timeframe & encompasses many characters lives. "
— Brandi, 2/18/2014 -
" John Irving is clearly a gifted writer, but I preferred Owen Meany to Cider House Rules. "
— T.H., 2/13/2014 -
" I give this book six stars. A true masterpiece! I'm only sorry that it had to end. "
— Maureen, 1/16/2014 -
" Just loved it. John Irving makes every character relevent to the story. Good Night you Princes of Maine, You Kings of New England! "
— Sarah, 1/8/2014 -
" This is an important book. Everyone should read it, even though it becomes a bit tiresome (too long) and odd (unbelievable, but still interesting characters). For anyone born after Roe v. Wade, this book should be required reading because it takes us back to the time when back-alley abortions destroyed the lives of women, and unwanted pregnancies ruined the lives of children. "
— Cheryl, 12/30/2013 -
" Fantastic read. Highly recommended. "
— Nathan, 12/19/2013 -
" My favorite John Irving book. "
— Tamara, 11/30/2013 -
" I'm finding this book so difficult to keep going with! At last I have finished! I must say I didn't really enjoy this book. I didn't really like any of the characters and I don't think it helped that I have seen the film. Something I hate to do see the film before reading the book. I don't like to give up on a book and am glad I finished it. "
— Mariagriffiths66, 11/12/2013 -
" Not as good as Prayer and I feel like it just sort ends. It wasn't smooth around the edges near the end, but such a good book from the very first word to the very last. It could of been either much much longer or much much shorter. "
— Angelique, 10/28/2013 -
" I really enjoy John Irving, and especially this one. Heavy topics, but worth the torment! "
— Nancyscullion, 10/14/2013 -
" Download to Alma's kindle 2/23/12 "
— Alma, 9/2/2013 -
" I loved this book so much, I already want to re-read it. "
— Annie, 7/8/2013 -
" Loved this book a lot!!!! "
— Maria, 6/5/2013 -
" Love love love this book! So many perspectives I never even considered. Undoubtedly a thought provoking book. "
— Kwirky, 9/28/2012 -
" I love books that make you feel like a better person for having read them. "
— Erin, 9/23/2012 -
" This book totally destroyed me when I read it aged around seventeen. I remember sobbing inconsolably for a very long time. Also, John Irving taught me how to use semicolons. "
— Kat, 8/13/2012 -
" I didn't love it - I had read Owen Meany which I absolutely adored. This book has some okay characters, but not as good. I kept waiting for something to happen and it doesn't. I am 2/3 through the book and putting it down. "
— Naimi, 7/10/2012 -
" I do so love it when you get so lost in a book you forget you are turning pages, and it doesn't happen for me often enough. But it did happen with this one. Thought-provoking, often discomfiting, but with a poignancy that will stay with me. Thanks Mr Irving. "
— Tania, 11/22/2011 -
" I think that this is a great book to read. "
— E-jana, 8/9/2011 -
" Not as good as I thought it would be! Loved it though! (HATED the ending!) "
— Leah, 5/23/2011 -
" Vintage [pun intended] Irving; i.e., brilliant. "
— Scott, 5/4/2011 -
" I just couldn't get into this book. "
— Kim, 4/28/2011 -
" Shit. I thought John Irving *used* to be awesome and just his new stuff was sucky. But um. Crapskies. Anyway I am not going back and trying Owen Meany again, that gets to live on a little golden throne forever no matter what. "
— Hannah, 4/23/2011 -
" I enjoyed this book, the momentum and anticipation of the inevitable. I would recommend it! "
— Christine, 4/21/2011 -
" This and garp are the best Irving has written. This one is definitely more nostalgic. "
— Riodelmartians, 4/11/2011 -
" This was my first John Irving book and I enjoyed his style of writing. I read the book two years ago now, and never saw the movie, and I still remember some of the details of scenes in it. It's a long one, but good. "
— Heather, 4/11/2011 -
" Classic John Irving<br/>quirky humor, moral men<br/>bold and didactic<br/> "
— Merissa, 4/11/2011 -
" Read this for a book club in the Litforum. "
— Richard, 4/10/2011
About John Irving
John Irving has been nominated for a National Book Award three times—winning once, in 1980, for the novel The World According to Garp, which became an international bestseller. In 1992, he 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. In 2001, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His novels have been translated into thirty-five languages.
About Grover Gardner
Grover Gardner (a.k.a. Tom Parker) is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.