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Description edit
The Cider House Rules is set in rural Maine in the first half of this century. It tells the story of Homer Wells, an orphan who is raised and mentored by Wilbur Larch, the doctor at the orphanage. Dr. Larch teaches Homer everything about medicine. Yet though his capacity for kindness is... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters/People edit
- Homer Wells: One of the orphans at St. Cloud's. After many adoption attempts, it is finally decided that he will stay at the orphanage.
- Dr. Wilbur Larch: The doctor who runs St. Cloud's orphanage. He does "The Lord's Work" and "The Devil's Work" in that he brings some children into the world and he aborts others. But he says it's all the Lord's work.
- Wally Worthington: The son of a wealthy apple farmer and love interest of Candy Kendall
- Candy Kendall: A girl from Heart's Haven whose father is a lobster man who falls in love with Wally Worthington
- Melony: A very troubled teenager at St. Cloud's orphanage.
- Olive Worthington: Wally's mother and matriarch at Ocean View Orchards
- Fuzzy Stone: An orphan at St. Cloud's who dies of a lung disorder
- Arthur Rose: A migrant worker who serves as overseer at the orchard every harvest.
- Angel Wells: Homer's son
- Nurse Edna: A nurse at St. Cloud's orphanage who is in love with Dr. Larch
- Mrs. Grogan: The overseer of the girls' division of St. Cloud's.
- Nurse Angela: The more practical nurse at St. Cloud's orphanage.
- Lorna: A woman with whom Melony works
- Nurse Caroline: Nurse from Heart's Haven whom Homer sends to St.Cloud's
- Mary Agnes Cork: Orphan who admires Melony and is later adopted
- Debra Pettigrew: Works at the orchard with her sister. Dates Homer for a while.
- Mrs. Eames: A prostitute that Dr. Larch met in his youth.
- David Copperfield: The first orphan Homer delivers at St. Cloud's
- Mrs. Goodhall: New member of the orphanage's board of trustees. She wants to replace Dr. Larch.
- Big Dot Taft: Worker at the orchard
- Dr. Gingrich: Phyciatrist and new member of the board of trustees for the orphanage.
- Ray Kendall: Candy's father. He is a lobsterman and very mechanically inclined. He can fix anything.
- Dr. Fuzzy Stone: An imaginary character created by Dr. Larch in "A Brief History of St. Cloud's" based on the person Larch wants Homer to become
- Rose Rose: The daughter of an migrant apple worker. Homer Wells helps her when she is in an impossible situation.
- Vernon Lynch: Notoriously mean orchard worker who abuses his wife, Grace
- Meany Hyde: Orchard worker
- Grace Lynch: Orchard worker who is abused by her husband, Vernon
- Irene Titcomb: Orchard worker
- Snowy Meadows: An orphan who was adopted and keeps contact with Dr. Larch via letters.
- Ted Callahan: Add a description of this character.
- Doris
- Little Steerforth
- Charley
- Mrs. Maxwell
- Sandra
- Willy
- Mr. Hood
- Clara
- Jack
- Maud
- Eddy
- Patty Callahan
- Mrs. Santa Claus
- Pip
- Missy Channing-Peabody
- Fred Astaire
- George
- B. A. Bensley
- Chadwick
- Reginald Hart
- Wilbur Walsh
- Bruce Bean
- Jane Eyre
- Dr. Harlow
- Mr. Rochester
- Draper
- Ira Titcomb
- Cameron
- Mildred Sanborn
- Charles Dickens
- Warren Titus
- Roy Rinfret
- Florence Hyde
- Mayor Neal Dow
- Mr. Roosevelt
- Bucky Bean
- Billy Winkle
- Mahler
- Ma
- Mrs. Channing-Peabody
- Rufus
- Bert Sanborn
- Black Pan
- Robert Larch
- Grant Winkle
- Sammy
- Joe McCarthy
- Pete Hyde
- Walter
- Peaches
- Charlotte Brontë
- Muddy
- Mrs. Eisenhower
- Herb Fowler
- Cardinal Newman
- Mrs. Draper
- Dr. Harold Ernst
- Baby Rose
- Eleanor
- Dr. F. Stone
- Harry S. Truman
- Nga Sak Kin
- Louise Tobey
- Everett Taft
- John Wilbur
- Mr. Rinfret
- Bob
- Wallace Worthington
- Dr. Richardson
- Dr. Channing
- Blinky
- Hero
- Orange
- Mrs. Walker
- Smoky Fields
- Owen Meany
- Alzheimer
Setting & Locations edit
- St. Cloud, Maine
- Maine
- Ocean View Orchards
- Burma
- Portland, Maine
- Heart's Rock
- Steerforth
- New England Home
- Waterville
- Boston
- Cape Kenneth Hospital
- Damariscotta
- China
- India
- York Farm
- Europe
- Marseilles
- South Carolina
- Camden
- Texas
- France
- Ceylon
- Bowdoin
- Snowy Meadows
- Orono
- New York
- Kennebec
- Boothbay
- Asia
- Loma
- Exeter
First Sentence edit
In the hospital of the orphanage -- the boys' division at St. Cloud's, Maine -- two nurses were in charge of naming the new babies and checking that their little penises were healing from the obligatory circumcision.
Table of Contents edit
1. The Boy Who Belonged to St. Cloud's
2. The Lord's Work
3. Princes of Maine, Kings of New England
4. Young Dr. Wells
5. Homer Breaks a Promise
6. Ocean View
7. Before the War
8. Opportunity Knocks
9. Over Burma
10. Fifteen Years
11. Breaking the Rules
Author's Notes
A Reader's Guide
Series & Lists edit
This book is in Hopeless Romantic. (community list)
This is book 325 of 1286 in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (authoritative list)
Authors & Contributors edit
- John Irving (Author)
Other Contributors:
- Grover Gardner (Reader) - reader of audio edition from Books On Tape
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Modern Library
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1985
ISBN: 0679603352
Page Count: 592
Publisher: Modern Library
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1985
ISBN: 0679603352
Page Count: 592
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: PS3559.R8 C5 2009
- Dewey: 813.54
Subjects edit
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