The Cider House Rules

The Cider House Rules
First edition cover
AuthorJohn Irving
LanguageEnglish
GenreBildungsromane
PublisherWilliam Morrow
Publication date
June 1985
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover)
Pages560
ISBN0-688-03036-X
OCLC1003368413
813/.54
LC ClassPS3559.R8 C5 1985
Preceded byThe Hotel New Hampshire 
Followed byA Prayer for Owen Meany 

The Cider House Rules (1985) is a novel by American writer John Irving, a Bildungsroman that was later adapted into a 1999 film and a stage play by Peter Parnell. The story, set in the pre– and post–World War II era, tells of a young man, Homer Wells, growing up under the guidance of Dr. Wilbur Larch, an obstetrician and abortion provider. The story relates his early life at Larch's orphanage in Maine and follows Homer as he eventually leaves the nest and comes of age.