The Cider House Rules Summary

The Cider House Rules by John Irving

This novel tells the story of Homer Wells who is an orphan grown up in an orphanage. Dr. Wilbur Larch makes him into his assistant. Dr. Larch decides to give his back on sex and love after a traumatic experience with a prostitute. Larrch is aware that Homer is going to spend his entire childhood in the orphanage, so he starts training him to be an obstetrician and starts loving him like a son.

 Homer discovers that Wilbur is an abortionist and he considers it immoral.

Candy Kendall and Wally Worthington, a young couple who come for an abortion, are befriended by Homer. Wally and Homer become best friends and Homer starts having feelings for Candy which end in a romantic relationship after Wally is gone to WWII and because of an air accident, is believed dead. Candy and Homer have a baby named Angel.

Wally is found in Burma, where his plane was shot down, but he is paralyzed from the waist down. He is able to have sexual relationships, but not able to have children because of an infection caught in Burma. Both lie to their families about Angel's parentage.

Wally and Candy marry but their marriage does not last long. Candy and Homer have a secret affair that lasts approximately fifteen years.

Some years later, Angel is a teenager and falls in love with Rose who unfortunately becomes pregnant by her father and Homer performs an abortion on her. After Dr. Larch's death, Home returs to the orphanage to become the director. He dislikes the idea of abortions but he must continue with the doctor's legacy, hoping that one day, abortion become free and legal in order for him to get rid of that responsability.   

John Irving

 

  

Award-winning, bestselling American novelist John Irving is known for The Cider House Rules and The World According to Garp. Born on March 2, 1942 in Exeter, New Hampshire, John Irving pursued wrestling and worked as a teacher before shooting to fame with his best-selling 1978 novel, The World According to Garp, which won the National Book Award. For his 1985 novel The Cider House Rules, he also wrote the screenplay adaption, winning an Oscar for his efforts. He has written many other novels, including A Prayer for Owen Meany and The Fourth Hand, as well as two memoirs.