"AN OLD-FASHIONED, BIG-HEARTED NOVEL . . . with its epic yearning caught in the 19th century, somewhere between Trollope and Twain . . . The rich detail makes for vintage Irving." --The Boston Sunday Globe "The Cider House Rules is filled with people to love and to feel for. . . . The characters in John Irving"s novel break all the rules, and yet they remain noble and free-spirited. Victims of tragedy, violence, and injustice, their lives seem more interesting and full of thought-provoking dilemmas than the lives of many real people." --The Houston Post "John Irving"s sixth and best novel . . . He is among the very best storytellers at work today. At the base of Irving"s own moral concerns is a rare and lasting regard for human kindness." --The Philadelphia Inquirer "Entertaining and affecting . . . John Irving is the most relentlessly inventive writer around. He proliferates colorful incidents and crotchets of character. . . . A truly astounding amount of artistry and ingenuity." --The San Diego Union