John Irving is a recognized master of psychological prose. His novel “The World from Garp,” which is also well known to Russian readers, brought him worldwide fame. “Cider House Rules” can be called a family saga in a new way, “David Copperfield” or “Jane Eyre” in reverse. An orphan without family or tribe finds his own family home, but home is no longer the fortress behind whose walls one can hide from the storms and cataclysms of our cruel age. Life rules designed to ensure an honest and calm life are being replaced by new, much stricter ones. But following them, a person is doomed - after all, he has to abandon his past, traditions and moral values. Is there a way out of this vicious circle?