A Prayer for Owen Meany

Rating:
Summary: Such an Amazing Book!
Review: First of all, this is an *amazing* book.
I was laughing, reading that someone else hated this book - that he loved all of Irving's other stuff, but not this book. I hated all of Irving's other stuff, and loved this book! So we agree on that much... it really is like a different author wrote it.
APFOM is a richly-woven tapestry, so self-integrated I can't even imagine how it was conceived... and all the time you think you know what's coming, but at the very, very, *very* end... it will blow you away.
This book has the most incredible climax of any book I have ever read. I read it in university and was stopped everywhere, asked if this was my first time reading it, and inevitably they would say "You won't believe the ending!" And 10 pages from the end, I still had no idea...
There is an aspect of spirituality to the book, apparent in the title, that perhaps some people wouldn't like... but to me, the idea of destiny this book carries with it packs a wallop, makes a reader think about what existence can really mean... My God this is powerful stuff.
Don't let anyone spoil the ending for you. It will
BLOW
YOUR
MIND!

Rating:
Summary: Funniest book...
Review: This book is one of the funniest books I have ever read in a while. Irving keeps you on your toes as you experience life through the eyes of a boy. The book is relatively easy to read as every little detail is explained. The character development is excellent as Irving brings out the true nature of the people in the town of Gravesend. The plot is also very unique, but very enthralling. This book might seem political or religious, but it is truly a story of deep friendship. Though the many circumstances in this book might seem outrageous, anyone can pick up the book and relate to the bond which the book has been focused around.

Rating:
Summary: A Prayer for Owen Meany
Review: A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving is a hilarious book. It is one of the more humorous books I've read in a long time and i enjoyed it very much, however it was also very sad. Owen Meany is a small person with a big heart full of love, compassion and
courage. I believe this book is very enjoyable and that everyone should read it.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: This book is truly amazing with its ability to both tell a great story and make the reader think. This is one of those books that cannot be put down because of the comical and engaging characters as well as all of the mysteries that arise while reading. The characters, namely Johnny, the narrator, and Owen Meany, are developed from their little league and grade school days all the way through their college and post-graduate years, giving the a realistic lifelike quality. Their familiar treatment of awkward subject matter and colloquial dialogue make story very humorous and entertaining. Essentially a chronicle Mystery and cryptic foreshadowing constantly drive the book along until the very end of the story, where all the puzzle pieces suddenly fall into place in a veritable revelation that comes as a neat surprise. A very satisfactory attribute is that all the loose ends are indeed tied up. There are no loose strands and there is a full sense of closure to the events surrounding the life of Owen Meany. At the same time, the book is rather thought provoking regarding politics, religion, and fate among other things. By the end of the story, one cannot help but wonder about the realities of American attitudes, church denominations, and predestination vs. choice.

Rating:
Summary: Owen Meany Great Book!
Review: Owen Meany is great novel for all ages. It deals with friendship and understanding faith. This novel truly defines the nature of friends. John Erving is able to depict what true friendship really means. This book also criticizes and comments on politics and society for those political novel lovers. This book adds sense of humor and creativity to enhance its plot. Readers will fall in love with character owen for his fidelity and intellengence. Some parts of novel are some what disturbing however John Erving only uses as satire not to evoke disgust in readers. I suggest everyone buy this book and read it. !~ I sure like it.

Rating:
Summary: An inspirational book! Defintitely worth reading
Review: A Prayer for Owen Meany is an inspirational book, reminding people like me that we should trust the Lord, for He has a great plan for all of us. John Irving expresses his ideas on pre-destination and fate through Owen's incredible life. Not only will the exciting and interesting plot keep you reading, but also, the richness and deepness of its significance will you keep you pondering. (It's one of those books you can't put down because you want to find out more). Owen Meany is a small boy with unusual characteristics who possesses a strong faith in God. The fact that Owen Meany can follow God so fervently, along with the biblical parallelism Irving creates, moves me. He's a character that most can relate to, for he's not perfect and his flaws are clearly shown, yet I still felt some kind of emotional attachment. Iriving's character devlopment is in short, amazing. I strongly recommend this book to readers of all ages, for its message can inspire any human soul.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: A Prayer for Owen Meany is a fascinating book describing the life of a young boy, John, growing up with Owen who is physically different from everyone else. The boys share many moving events in their lives such as deaths, religion, war, and just growing up in the 1950fs. I was impressed by the continuous unusual motif portrayed in this book about armless-ness. It would be a good idea to know some stories from the Bible before reading this book due to the many different parallelisms revealed. John Irvingfs powerful portrayal of Owenfs purpose in life, and his faith also adds to the originality of this book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a complex emotional reading with a strong pace that keeps you involved throughout the story until the end.

Rating:
Summary: A relatively good book
Review: In A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving touches on many complex themes, the most important of these human faith and inability to control fate. Although the long book is eventful and the language simple, at times the book is not easy to read. Somewhere in the middle of the book, it becomes frustrating to read about things that happen for what seems to be no reason at all. However the end of the book resolves nearly all the hanging issues and is very satisfying. Owen Meany is a complex character who at times is just strange, but the reader can't help but feel an attachment for and be inspired by this small-sized character with such strong faith. Irving does a good job on adding irony/humor to the book but most importantly he succeeds in telling a memorable story about faith and predestination.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad
Review: This book starts out very well, using several startling developments as well as a wry, informal tone to suck the reader in. Irving's style of writing jumps around a lot, covering events in the order he feels has the most impact on the reader. Although this is somewhat confusing when you first begin reading, it quickly becomes second-nature, serving to emphasize the main themes of the novel.

A Prayer for Owen Meany, as you can see from the blurb, is mainly a discussion of religious faith and fate. It is when events revolve around those themes that the book makes the most sense; however, when Irving begins going off on tangents about the Iran-Contra scandal or other ravings about being Canadian, the book loses focus and becomes less interesting. All in all though, it's a fascinating depiction of the childhood and growth of the narrator, aided by his close relationship with the not-quite-human prophet, Owen Meany.

Rating:
Summary: This book has everything!
Review: I loved A Prayer for Owen Meany. It made me laugh and cry, and it has unique, memorable characters that you really grow to care about as you read. It's about a boy who believes that he is the instrument of God, and about his best friend narrates the story of how he lives his life with the goal of being a hero. The best part is, that even though he believes he is destined to do great things, Owen Meany is far from perfect. He's a human being with faults like the rest of us. He's so realistic that he reminds you of people you know.

The novel makes you think that everything in life is somehow interconnected, that what you do today will have an impact on what happens to you tomorrow, and that there is a reason for why certain things happen and why other things don't. The narrative is sort of rambly and at times it feels unorganized, but at the end of the novel everything comes together and makes sense. This book is really fun to read because the drama is nicely balanced with lots of humor, and I would definetely recommend it.