My first Irving novel was Garp, after which I went back and read Setting Free the Bears and the 158 Pound Marriage before resuming the chronology. Cider House remains my favorite.I had to force myself to keep reading this one at first; I think I was looking for the heart of the novel, and I didn't really find it until Jack's sister is introduced. Some of the humorous scenes are strained--you're not sure whether you're supposed to be laughing or not. The novel could easily lose about 150 pages without significant loss of texture.Nevertheless, when I'd finished it, I felt a sense of satisfaction. The spirits of damaged people triumph in the end. It reminds me a sticking with a friend through years of tribulation until, finally, he conquers or at least compromises with his demons.