I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice — not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother’s death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany.In the summer of 1953, two eleven-year-old boys — best friends — are playing in a Little League baseball game in Gravesend, … game in Gravesend, New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills the other boy’s mother. The boy who hits the ball doesn’t believe in accidents; Owen Meany believes he is God’s instrument. What happens to Owen after that 1953 foul ball is extraordinary.
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This is one of my all-time favorite books. I keep it by my computer for inspiration when I’m writing, and I reference it in my own novel. It is the book Jules reads when she is hiding out in Bryn Mawr’s library. Running through both books are the main character’s search for the identity of their father.
Irving’s characters are richly written and …
Running A Prayer for Owen Meany tomorrow for $1.99 and it’s not Canada-only? An almost–St. Patrick’s Day miracle.
This is my close friend’s favorite book ever, full stop. (I’ve been promising her I’ll read it for about four years). She is a woman of taste, so if you haven’t read this one yet, I recommend grabbing a copy.
What to say except…my favorite book. Ever.
One of the best books I have ever read. It stays with you for years after reading it. John Irving is a master storyteller. All of his books are excellent. I love Owen the best!
I picked this book up as I am reading books from PBS Americans Greatest read list. I found this book hard to get into at first, but I am glad I stuck with it. It is a laugh out loud funny, along with being inspirational. A great read.
Confession: I am not a subjective reviewer.
John Irving was my first teacher at the University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop. He was smart and friendly. He had published three novels and was working on what would become The World According to Garp, which I believe didn’t yet have a title.
Admission to the Writer’s Workshop was awfully competitive, …
This should be on everyone’s to-read list. I found so much life lessons in this book. Initially, I found Owen to be irritating but as his character developed I found myself rooting for him and became quite fond of him. I can’t say much else without spoiling the story but it is told from the perspective of a now adult friend of Owen’s looking back …
This book is a classic. I have read all of John Irving’s books and this one and Cider House Rules are my favorite. I will never look at an armadillo the same way.
Irving’s characters face adversity in such a way that we must take them into our hearts and hold them there forever. He dares to go into taboo territory, sometimes crafting preposterous situations, but everything is woven so tightly together that the novel as a whole is an ice cream sundae after a year of dieting.
I have a love / hate relationship with this book. Irving can certainly turn a phrase and his dialog between friends Owen Meany and John Wheelwright is spot-on for teenage boys. Their discussions, at times, are poignant and very funny. But in this book, Irving repeated himself constantly at an infuriating rate, and once I reached the end of the …
This was a book I absolutely could not put down. What a page turner. The story of Owen Meany will stay with you forever, I guarantee it. One of the BEST books I have ever read.
One of those rare finds that just pulls you in and you have to know more about these characters. One of my favorite books since I first read it. I believe this to be John Irving’s masterpiece in a career of excellent works.
I adored this book. The characters are quirky, and take a little getting used to. They are, however, wonderful and noble. There is also a great deal of humor here — the pageant scene left me breathless with laughter.
If I have chose one John Irving novel to read on a desert island, this is it. Sorry Garp.
This book. This book has the best ending of any book I’ve ever read. The novel comes together in the most exquisite manner, conveying a story of faith, fate, and love. I honestly sob reading this book every single time and it is such a poignant story that will leave an indelible mark on the reader.
A Prayer for Owen Meany is an extraordinary …
I find all John Irving to be this way, for a long time you are wandering in an interesting landscape without knowing exactly where you are. But this one, I think, was the MOST worth the wait.
Great Book.
This is possibly my favourite book of all time (by one of my very favourite authors). It makes one think about their views on the Divine, and is very funny and poignant. My number one recommended book by far.
One of the best books I’ve ever read. A true classic, because it is a literary gem, but also because it speaks to the heart of what is real ‘faith”.
Simply phenomenal.