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Summary: John Irving and the complainer's novel
Review: Irving's A Prayer For Owen Meany is all about a rambling, disgusted god who condemns the world and cannot tell man what is right. The new gospel's salvation is not based on loving your neighbor as you would love yourself, but instead focuses on venting the anger of mankind towards the current system by criticizing every thing it does without having the power to solve those problems. Basically, if a god condemns all the institutions of man, the victims of the world (who in the end extends to everyone in death) are assured that all of their problems originate from the current system and regime. Everyone eventually will be defeated by life, and it feels good to go kicking and screaming in protest like Owen instead of being silent like the Christ of the Bible. In short, it is a "feel good" novel, perhaps explaining why A Prayer for Owen Meany was #1 International Best Seller. Anybody who reads this book is a chronic complainer with nothing to do.
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Summary: It's really all about Johnny
Review: Friendship and fate are at the heart of this remarkable novel. I must admit the book was hard to get into, but I was so glad I perservered. Owen Meany, the story's tragic hero, learns he is the instrument of God when the baseball he hits strikes best friend Johnny Wheelwright's mother - Tabitha - killing her instantly. There is another incident in Owen's life that leads him to believe he is on a mission from God - but you will have to read it to find that out. From this point on, Owen lives his life with a blind faith that Johnny nor others can actually comprehend. Narrated by Johnny, the story spans the boys' childhood and entry to adulthood and ultimately illustrates the profound impact Owen's life has on Johnny. Cleverly crafted with a bevy of unique characters(both fictional and non-fictional), fabulous dialogue, and symbolism, Irving undertakes an intricate story and wraps it up with a climax that has a profound impact on the reader. This is one I want to read again - as it is full of insight and imagery that I know I will experience differently with each read.
Rating: 
Summary: A Prayer for Owen Meany
Review: John Irving did a really great job with this book. Owen Meany is a character that I will never forget. The strong personality, mixed with his crass personality, Owen keeps the readers in the book. The ending definitely did the book justice. Even the earliest of events, all tie in at the end! A Prayer for Owen Meany is definite must!
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Summary: An excellent novel
Review: The book, A Prayer for Owen Meany, is a great book. It is a book enjoyable for people of any age. A Prayer for Owen Meany is a lot like the movie, Simon Birch, so if you liked Simon Birch you will most likely like A Prayer for Owen Meany. In A Prayer for Owen Meany, the main character, Owen Meany, has a disease causing him not to grow and develop like most other children his age. Even with this problem Owen is still a loveable character. He has so much hope, but yet he is so unfortunate. Owen's parents mine a granite quarry. It is a pretty dirty job. Owen's parents are not really involved in Owen's life much. His best friend, John, is a great friend to him. They always play together. John's mother treats Owen as if he were her own. This story is touching, funny, and heartbreaking all at the same time. Read it to find out about Owen Meany, and the life he leads.
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Summary: My Favorite work of fiction.
Review: Slow at the start, it's worth it for the payoff. Manipulative, yes, but very enjoyable manipulation. If you loved Simon Birch, it's only because you didn't read this book first; it dwarfs the movie.
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Summary: My Review
Review: "A Prayer for Owen Meany" is a great book. This is the only book that I have actually wanted to read a lot, and actually finish. Everytime I read the book and Owen talks, I can hear him talking like the little boy on the movie Simon Birch. LThat makes me able to visualize the story better. This is a good book fo ranyone to read, its halarious and very sad at the same time. This book is very easy to read, because the whole thing flows so well. For me the begining of the movel was the est part. That is when they are talking about how Johnny and Owen grew up together, before Johnny's mother , Tabitha had been killed by Owen hitting that baseball. My favorite parts had to do with Johnny, Owen, and Johnny's cousins Hester, simon, and Noah. All of the hames they had played at their house in Sawyer Depot. This was the best book I have ever read and I would recommend it to anyone.
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Summary: Great Book
Review: I thought this was a great book. Even though they are not even close to being the same, I loved the movie Simon Birch and decided to read the book. The characters in the story are so realistic(except for Owen Meany). The book is about two friends Owen Meany and John Wheelwright. The story tells about John's life an how Owen changed and influenced his it. John moved to Toronto and works at an all girls school. He keeps a diary and throughout the book things in his present life remind him of things from his childhood. Like when Liberace died John was reminded of how much Owen loved Liberace. That was the only thing I didn't like about the book, the way it was always going back and forth from past to present. John's life in Toronto wasn't very interesting. But otherwise it was a great novel. There is something in this book for everyone. Some parts will make you laugh, cry, smile, and even frown at the character's actions. I would recommend this book to anyone who has some patience to get into the book and anyone with some time to read it. I loved it and I think you will too!
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Summary: Stop searching......
Review: for a new book if you have not had the pleasure of discovering Owen Meany. This is a strage book written in the offbeat manner of John Irving. If oyu have never read Irving give yourself a littel time to get into the flow and you will be captivated. It is very difficult to explain to someone exactly what this book is all about. It is the story of a little dwarfish boy wiht a strange voice and his dramatic affect on the lives of the people around him. It was used as the basis of the movie Simon Birch but the movie was miles and miles from being able to capture any of the magic of this book. The book is an experience. That is the only way to accurately describe Owen Meany, you must experience him.
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Summary: Genius!
Review: This book is truly amazing. Although it takes some patience to truly get involoved, it is worth it. I personally found it inspiring. There's so much brain candy it's impossible to become bored, and I can not see how anyone could not like this book. John Irving has such a gift and he truly displays it with this narrative. It is my first Irving book and I can't wait to read his other novels. I saw the movie "Simon Birch" and I fell in love. I know that it is nothing like the book but it's still charming. The book is by far better but I thought the movie was quite appealing as well.
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Summary: Well, I didn't HATE it . . .
Review: I know that a lot of you Owen Meany lovers refuse to believe that anyone could possibly have a good reason for disliking this book. But the fact is, this is a very flawed novel, and there are plenty of reasons to dislike it. And no, I'm not just angry at the anti-Reagan passages in this book--I AGREE with those. And no, I'm not just a hard-hearted person who hates anything that's the least bit sentimental. I like sentimentality as much as the next person. Still, there's a fine line between sentimentality and just plain being manipulative. Manipulation occurs when an author gives you a contrived situation and unrealistic characters and expects you to really care about them. That's the case here. The integral plot point involving "the shot" (if you read the book you know what I'm talking about) is unbelievably contrived. The plot just doesn't flow in a natural way--it feels very ARRANGED. More importantly, how you feel about the book really depends on how you feel about Owen Meany himself. If you just love him, you'll like the book. If you think he's annoying (and he does have a lot of annoying characteristics), you won't care what happens to him and thus probably won't like the book. Other problems with this novel include a pronounced shift halfway through the book--from childhood memories to a politically charged drama. Plus, the thing is just too long! And no, I don't have a problem with long books per se--some of my favorite books are 500+ pages long. But some books go on way longer than they should, and John Irving is one of the most frequent offenders in this category. If you want an enjoyable Irving read, I'd recommend "A Widow for One Year." It also goes on too long, but at least you won't be force fed an unconvincing (in my opinion) lesson about spirituality.
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