The Cider House Rules by John Irving

This is a highly acclaimed novel, but I found it somewhat disappointing. The characters mostly are sweet, uncomplicated people, the kind of people who are nice to know but not very interesting to read about. This is basically the life story of a fictional character, but like the life story of a real person it goes on for quite a while without seeming to have much point to it. The story does pick up at toward the end, and finally you see what this rambling narrative was leading to, but I found most of it rather dull and unsatisfying. Not a totally wasted effort, but I loved *The World According to Garp*, and I definitely expected more from this author.

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1 comment

    • Toni on October 5, 2014 at 4:00 pm
    • Reply

    I must admit, this review surprises me. John Irving, and especially this book, tend to be a bit polarizing. Do you find the social commentary unappealing?
    I would be curious to know what you think of A Prayer for Owen Meany, if you ever get a chance to read it.

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