The Cider House Rules: John Irving (1985 original; edició 1986)

Brilliantly written book with complex characters facing complex circumstances. The best part was the each character was fully 3 dimensional, allowing me to feel, think and breathe with them. ( )

Abandoned about a third of the way through this 600 page book.

I think I love John Irving -- his writing is brilliant and the perspicacious commentary is immensely enjoyable. But this is a Bildungsroman about a young orphan protege of an abortionist & orphanage director in the 1930s/1940s, and I just can't handle the un-sign-posted graphicness. Irving doesn't seem to revel in it, to his credit, but it's far too much for me. (The observation that finally made me put the book down, which isn't a spoiler but maybe shouldn't be in plain sight given my reaction, is a pregnant women dies from a stabbing; the fetus was nearly at term and could have been delivered but it bled out, and teenage Homer is asked to do an autopsy as part of his off-the-books medical training: "Homer Wells borrowed Doctor Larch's sternum sheers before he realized that a pair of heavy scissors was all he needed to open the fetus's sternum. He cut straight up the middle" -- and I silenced the audiobook to squirm and go find some YA fantasy.) ( )

Superb in scope and originality, a novel as good as one could hope to find form any author, anywhere, anytime. Engrossing, moving, thoroughly satisfying.

Fiction

an orphange and abortion doctor and his protegee in Maine, couldn't finish