The Cider House Rules by John Irving

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads]

4 stars

John Irving never disappoints. He writes long, complex and beautifully intricate stories. This one explores some of the things that make life most interesting and difficult: love and loss. It looks at what it means to be family. Most people will say this book is about abortion, and while it is true that the right to choose is one of the main themes of the book, it is not what is important and moving about the story. However, I do think it is important to note that Mr Irving took a very controversial and often political subject and created around it a story of love and dedication. In all the books I have read that Irving has written he also explores a theme of breaking the rules and this one is no different. It makes his stories rich and interesting. As humans we all break the rules -- we just choose the ones that we think are okay to break. Sometimes the consequences are small and sometimes they are very, very big. Irving often writes about the latter scenario and because he does it makes the reader think. And best of all he allows the reader to feel deeply the emotions of his characters. I never fail to connect with the people about whom he writes.

[Pip]

Such a beautiful review.