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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It’s been a while since I read this book, but the characters and their relationship are so special that they have stayed with me all these years. I’ve always been a fan of John Irving and this is one of his most special books.
This is one of my top five favorite books of my life. You will love it and will want to own it in hardback. Beautiful and sad, so well-written.
I wish this story could have ended differently.
John Irving is a wonderful writer! I loved this book.
I’m definitely in the minority. I so wanted to like this book but I’m almost 200 pages in and I’m really struggling to just stay awake. There’s so much extraneous information and dialogue. I guess I expected this to be a fictional story, not 500+ pages of “setting the stage” for Irving’s point.
Read this many years ago when it was first published and is still one of my all time favorite books.
Not my favorite of Irving’s book, but still above average.
I can’t really describe why I liked this book so much. I laughed till I cried at parts of it and cried at other parts.
Owen Meany is a character for the Ages. He’ll stay with you forever.
One of my all-time favorites. I love John Irving, and this is one of his best books.
One of the best books ever read. Powerful in its evocation of characters.
I’ll be honest. I was extraordinarily bored and really had to push/force myself through the first half of the story. It seemed like there were so many boring inconsequential details of the narrator’s ’50 and early ’60s childhood being presented, only to be periodically interrupted by complaints on U.S. politics and foreign policy of the ’80s. Not …
I just didn!t like Owen Meaney. The book was well written but not my “cup of tea”.
I loved this book . Wonderful story , laugh out loud scenes! Expert descriptions and character development. Loved the whole vocabulary! Don’t miss it !
A book I have reread and recommend to everyone.
One of my favorite books! There are places that get a little sluggish, but the ending is all worth it! What a wonderful way to bring a story together!
One of the best books I have ever read.
My favorite book of all time. I think that pretty much says it all…..
What you expect from John Irving, after you have wrung yourself out through a few of his others.
Absolutely wonderful book. It grabs hold of you and never lets go. Highly recommend!