Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

The Cider House Rules by John Irving

9 reviews

mattyvreads's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Perhaps one of the finest books I have ever read. I devoured every word. Irving is a spectacular author.

What I so appreciate about this book is that each character is so layered and nuanced and complex. Characters that you love have some unavoidable fault. Characters that you hate aren’t written as cartoon villains; the audience even grows fond of some characters before we learn the depth of their cruelty.

I love the way that Irving tells a story. There is an interconnectedness between the characters he creates, even if those characters don’t know each other. Every detail feels so intentional, even something as small as a crushed mosquito on the wall. Everything is important.

Irving is so cool because writes from a pro-choice, anti-war, sexually liberated (and at least a little queer) perspective. He tackles issues of classism and racism, misogyny and abuse. He is enlightened. It is no wonder that this is such a commonly banned book. Conservatives wouldn’t be able to handle the inarguable points he makes in support of safe health care, including safe abortions for anyone that wants or needs one.

There is some dated language in the book, which makes contextual sense given the time period. There’s a little bit of casual fatphobia, but that might be expected in a novel from 1985. Still, Irving seems to land on the “correct side of history” in discussion of socioeconomic and political arguments. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Dementia, Incest, Abortion, and Addiction

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Child death

melissa_cosgrove's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion and Addiction

Moderate: Rape, Incest, Racism, and Child abuse

Minor: War

haleyshort's review against another edition

funny hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

God I love this book. Every character has such depth and is so flawed but wants to do what’s right and there’s so much love in so many different forms and I just find it so compelling and joyful and interesting and sad. I know that it isn’t perfect, John Irving is a white dude from New England who writes about white dudes from New England, but it feels like home to me. Found family, found homes, and found selves abound.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, and Addiction

Moderate: Sexual assault and Incest

vagrantheather's review against another edition

challenging funny informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A story that spans 3 generations in rural Maine. A story of terrible things told with an edge of hilarious absurdity. A treatise on the necessity of abortion access, no matter your thoughts of personhood or souls. Irving manages to take some very dark themes and topics and weave them into a compelling story that doesn't feel at all preachy. I laughed out loud an embarrassing number of times. I will absolutely be reading further Irving, and would recommend him for anyone who's fond of Vonnegut.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Abortion, and Addiction

Moderate: Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, and War

Minor: Incest, Infertility, and Infidelity

granasys's review

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This book could be talked about for hours, as it portrays both nuanced characters and societal issues, while having a unique atmosphere. 

What got to me is the Irving's way of showing close-up examinations at times and drifting away for other, seemingly without regard to the importance of the event. The love triangle was one of the saddest and most realistically portrayed I ever encountered and throughout the story I was naviely hoping that given the author's approach to other issues, it would be solved through polyamory. Was grateful that the queer storyline wasn't the sad one for once.

The themes it tackles, especially abortion rights makes it painfull  relevant as ever. It also touches on racial issues with care.

The story itself only got faster in the last 200 pages, it's not very surprising that I read the first 500 or so in almost 2 months and than the last part in an evening and the morning afterwards. And the way it was tied together made it worth it for sure.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Medical content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Abortion, and Racism

adrionmacaron's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abortion, and Death

Moderate: Terminal illness, Sexual content, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, Abortion, Xenophobia, War, Vomit, Violence, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Infertility, Incest, Drug use, Dementia, Death, Child death, Child abuse, Blood, Alcoholism, and Addiction

miriamjones's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion and Violence

Minor: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Addiction, Rape, and Sexual harassment

rockettemorton's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

A masterpiece. Ain't no two way about it. Irving's cashmere-smooth prose makes this slow-burner of a narrative light sea-breeze. It's not particularly poetic or anything. Just thoroughly pleasant to experience the work of such a maestro. The characters feel, frankly, more real – more realistic – than people I know from real life. Not in the predictable sort of way. No, Irving simply accounts for everything and never leaves anything out of consideration. Furthermore, despite handling several very grim themes, he neither glosses over them, discarding their importance, nor does he focus on them to the point where it takes over the story. He acknowledges that shitty things exist in the world and that people react differently to them. This is despite how creative and lovely the characters – and the world they inhabit – are.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Abandonment, Child death, Grief, Sexual content, and War

Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Violence, and Vomit

jedore's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Those who plead for the lives of the unborn should consider the lives of the living.

I remember loving the Cider House Rules movie, but don't remember it being like what I just read. Let's just say this book is not for the Karens of the world. 😄 Abortion, prostitution, bestiality, incest, domestic violence...this book will offend and/or trigger pretty much anyone whose mind isn't pretty wide open.

Fortunately, mine is so I truly enjoyed it. John Irving is an amazing WRITER (as opposed to just an author). He pulls you in and takes you on quite the wild ride.

His character development is top tier. Every one of the characters comes to life—I could see, hear and feel them with little effort. Being that the story is primarily character driven, I especially appreciated this aspect of his writing.

Having read this on my Kindle, I didn't realize how long it was until I started it. If you're not a speed reader, it will take you some time to read at 963 pages. I fought it a bit at first, but then settled into to a place where I savored it.

Looking forward to watching the (award winning) movie again...now I'm intrigued as to how they handled all of the super edgy content.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Drug abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Medical content, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, and Racism

Minor: Rape