I Grew Up In A Family Where,

But Writers, Garp Knew, Were Just Observers - Good And Ruthless Imitators Of Human Behavior.

It's Because Even A Good Man Can't Always Be Right, That We Need ... Rules.

What Was Even More Germane Was My Study Of The History Of Religion. It Was One Of The Few Things In School I Was Fascinated By.

I Was Brought Up In A Community, In A Family That Valued Such Things As Good Manners, And I Still Do.

Before I Began The Cider House Rules, I Thought I Wanted To Write About A Father-son Relationship That Was Closer, More Conflicted, And Ultimately More Loving, Than Most. Then I Began To Think Of A Relationship Between An Old Orphanage Director And An Unadoptable Orphan - A Kid Who Goes Out Into The World And Fails And Keeps Coming Back, So That The Old Guy Ends Up With Someone He's Got To Keep.