Books like…

Books Like The Cider House Rules

by John Irving · about this book

Loved The Cider House Rules by John Irving? If its orphans, literary fiction and character-driven hooked you, these 20 books hit the same notes — starting with Cutting for Stone, Of Human Bondage and Gather. Every pick is matched by what’s actually inside the book, not just its genre, and we skip other books by the same author so you find someone new.

What’s inside The Cider House Rules: Orphans · Literary Fiction · Character-Driven · Mentor Relationship · Male Lead

1. 

   Cutting for Stone

   Abraham Verghese

   Medicine · Hospital · Literary Fiction · Coming of Age · Historical Fiction

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2. 

   Of Human Bondage

   W. Somerset Maugham

   Bildungsroman · Finding Purpose · Coming of Age · Hospital · Literary Fiction

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3. 

   Gather

   Kenneth M. Cadow

   Coming of Age · Rural Farm · Finding Purpose · Addiction · Character-Driven

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4. 

   Demon Copperhead

   Barbara Kingsolver

   Bildungsroman · Coming of Age · Literary Fiction · Rural Farm · Emotional

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5. 

   Ham On Rye

   Charles Bukowski

   Bildungsroman · Coming of Age · Substance Abuse · Literary Fiction · Addiction

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6. 

   The Catcher in the Rye

   Jerome David Salinger

   Bildungsroman · Coming of Age · Literary Fiction · Character-Driven · Rebellion Against Authority

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7. 

   Middlesex

   Jeffrey Eugenides

   Bildungsroman · Coming of Age · Literary Fiction · Character-Driven · First Person Narrator

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8. 

   Memoirs of a Geisha

   Arthur Golden

   Bildungsroman · Coming of Age · Mentor Relationship · Literary Fiction · Bittersweet

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9. 

   The Outsiders

   S.E. Hinton

   Bildungsroman · Coming of Age · Found Family · First Person Narrator · Character-Driven

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10. 

    Assassin's Apprentice

    Robin Hobb

    Bildungsroman · Coming of Age · Mentor Relationship · Character-Driven · First Person Narrator

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11. 

    To Kill a Mockingbird

    Harper Lee

    Bildungsroman · Coming of Age · Literary Fiction · Historical Fiction · Character-Driven

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12. 

    Shantaram

    Gregory David Roberts

    Addiction · Substance Abuse · Mentor Relationship · First Person Narrator · Character-Driven

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13. 

    Great Expectations

    Charles Dickens

    Bildungsroman · Coming of Age · Literary Fiction · First Person Narrator · Character-Driven

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14. 

    The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell

    Robert Dugoni

    Coming of Age · Character-Driven · Medicine · Literary Fiction · Male Lead

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15. 

    The Other Side of the Bridge

    Mary Lawson

    Literary Fiction · Coming of Age · Character-Driven · Rural Farm · Bittersweet

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16. 

    A Gentleman in Moscow

    Amor Towles

    Adoption · Literary Fiction · Character-Driven · Found Family · Male Lead

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17. 

    Dawn of Wonder

    Jonathan Renshaw

    Bildungsroman · Coming of Age · Mentor Relationship · Male Lead · Rural Farm

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18. 

    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

    Mark Twain

    Bildungsroman · Coming of Age · Rebellion Against Authority · Historical Fiction · First Person Narrator

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19. 

    Taran Wanderer

    Lloyd Alexander

    Bildungsroman · Finding Purpose · Coming of Age · Mentor Relationship · Character-Driven

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20. 

    To the Moon and Back

    Eliana Ramage

    Finding Purpose · Coming of Age · Literary Fiction · Character-Driven · Rural Farm

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