Rating: 
Summary: A Prayer for laughing your head off.
Review: John Irving is a brilliant artist, one of the best in his craft. Owen Meany is one of the greatest characters in literary history because he breaks the mold of a typical hero. he strives to save the world with his God-given talent and his STRANGE VOICE, which allowws him to stand up, though not very high, and be heard. Along with his best friend John, also the narrator, he touches and effects everyone he meets.
In comparison to other books of this sort, the greats like Confederacy of Dunces, and The World According to Garp, this book stands out in its own way. the religious motif, and the many other themes pull a reader along for a wild ride in a small town in New England. This book will change your life, or at least make it more enjoyable. it will make you look deeper into your existance and question lifes meaning. Not to mention it'll crack you up. Definitely a sucess, John Irving deserves a monstrous pat-on-the-back for this fantastic novel.
On another thought if you enjoy this book, and i certainly did, may i reccomend other titles by John Irving: The World According to Garp, or Cider House Rules. Also Confederacy of Dunces, by John Peter O'Toole. They will blow your mind.
Rating: 
Summary: Great!
Review: A wonderful book with a great ending. Why John Irving isn't higher up on the bestseller list is beyond me. His characters are the best and his writing style is unsurpassed. He's a national treature.Also recommended: McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best.....it's a must-read......
Review: Like I said, one of the best books I've read........period.
Rating:
Summary: Top of my list!
Review: A Prayer for Owen Meany was recommended to me by a friend who is also a "reading junkie" and I have put it at the top of my list of favorite books. I have read almost every night of my life of 58 years - from the age of five on - for pure pleasure! I read a wide variety of books, including classics, non-fiction, how-to and sometimes just amusing trash! I have to admit that I am more likely to choose books read by Amazon reviewers than just pick something from the "Top Ten" list. I also respect reviews from The New York Times Book Review. I have read a number of Irving's books and this is my very favorite - Owen became a living, breathing human being that you could reach out and touch!
Rating:
Summary: Best John Irving Book
Review: This is in my opinion the best book from my all-time favorite author. It is a book full of rich characters that stick in your mind for years. I can't remember any other book that created a world and a cast of characters that I never wanted to leave, like "A Prayer for Owen Meany". Irving does a brilliant job in foreshadowing the brilliant ending while at the same time building more and more layers to each character. I say that this is a MUST read from the John Irving collection.
Rating: 
Summary: A Bit of a Let Down
Review: It is rare that a novel completely throws me off balance. I enjoy the random imagery, scenery and cast of characters from a wide variety of authors...but, after awhile, with so many authors copying so many other authors' works (even unintentionally), you begin to see shades of the same story over and over. That said, I was shocked in a wonderful way when I first picked up this book. While the narrator/main character admits that he is a dud, he is a very believable and likeable dud. Even moreso, he plays a great straight man to the irresistable character of Owen Meany, who is a short little mastermind with a high-pitched voice and gets passed around his Sunday School class whenever the teacher leaves. Irving has an incredible gift at making you laugh, even out loud, at the absurdity of the situations in this small New Hampshire town as the narrator and Owen grow up together. As the narrator flashes to glimpses of his current adult life, the humor is still really enjoyable and poignant. He rants about how much he hates America while living in Canada. And the Canadian folk kindly ask if he hates America so much why doesn't he forget about it and learn more about Canada. Instead he proceeds to get lost every time he goes out the door...this is a classic example where the humor is phenomenal, but the psychological subject he broaches beneath the surface is worth considering. In fact, this is far from a light tale. I wouldn't say that Irving ever digs down deep & explores the well of human experience and emotion in full...mostly because he handles even the darkest moments in an off-hand manner or with the withdrawn perspective of his future self. However, he does touch on many a difficult subject - including death, supposed destiny, visions, lust, adolescent temptations, lechery within the church, rejection, etc. Because of these themes, which form the backbone of the tale, you enjoy his delightful humor with constant suspicion of where he will go next. All this said, I was incredibly disappointed in the ending. So disappointed that my rating has dropped to 3 stars. Throughout the book Irving develops some strange themes - such as their basketball "shot" and armless beings - to an obsessive level. But this works seeing that the tale is so neurotic in nature. However, with the ending, Irving tries to tie in all these random threads to a supposedly poignant scene where everything makes sense and falls in place. It's kinda like the moment in "Signs" where Gibson's character finally understands the "meaning" and "purpose" for the quirks of his kids. Quite honestly, it's the moment many of us search for when we wonder why such-and-such happened in our life, or why did so-and-so have to die. We want answers and purpose in a life that seems so aimless. However, as with "Signs", I agree with the PW review that Irving's climatic moment is weak and forced. Things don't tie together as they should. The moment seems overly simplistic considering how many years, events and lives have been building to this point. It leaves more questions than it brings assurance, especially as NOTHING falls in place for the dud main character. It's not that I personally don't think that there are reasons and purpose behind much of the pain and happenings in our life. However, I think when the purpose is ever glimpsed at, the answer revealed is so complex, hits on so many levels, affects so many lives, and depends on so many "coincidental" events that it blows the mind. Surely it is the work of a divine hand...a work that few authors can try to repeat in their stories, though some have suceeded. In the end, Irvings glorious plot and character development seem like a waste because he was trying to use it all to force one point...and the point wasn't made very well and so everything else seems to be left dangling. I was sorry to see the novel decline this way.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I have ever read
Review: As a voracious reader, I quite often read a book and within days forget everything about it. Not so with Owen Meany. John Irving's powerful characterization of the delightfully odd and fate-driven Meany left a strong impression that lingered long after I turned the last page. On its surface, Owen Meany is the compelling story of a friendship between two boys/men that is driven by strange occurrences of precognition and the idiosyncrasies of Meany. On a much deeper level it leaves one to ponder the very nature of fate and belief. A Prayer for Owen Meany is deeply and sensitively written by Irving and driven by unforgettable characters and events. For those who enjoy an evocative read, Owen Meany will pull you into his world and leave you remembering him for a long time to come.
Rating:
Summary: Our Prayers Are Answered
Review: Have you ever read a book and were disappointed when it ended? Have you ever wished that story would go on and on? A Prayer for Owen Meany is exactly that kind of book. Sent in Gravesend, New Hampshire, John Irving weaves a poignant, witty, charming and philosophical tale of Owen Meany, who believes he's God's instrument. When Owen kills his friend's mother, it sets off a chain of events that weave several rich and intriguing story lines into a beautiful saga of love, laughter, belief, sorrow and redemption. It's the kind of story you hope to read each time you pick up a new book. Irving doesn't disappoint. In fact, he delivers more than expected. What captured me was Irving's pacing, his lack of urgency and his care, imagination, and even the glimpses of his own spirituality as he takes us into the lives of these characters and makes us love them and live them. It's an oasis in a crowded desert of unsatisfying alternatives.
Rating:
Summary: Renews the faith of those who have lost it
Review: This book is slow to develop but is hard to put down. It is a well-written novel of a beautiful friendship and an amazing person, Owen. Not only is he an inspiration to Johnny, but also to anyone who reads this novel.
Rating:
Summary: The Amazing Story of Owen Meany
Review: Overall I thought this book was very good, long but good. At first it got off to a slow start but then Irving began to add suspense to so many incidents in the book, such as, exactly when and how does Owen die? I also thought it was very interesting that Johnny was so shy and he always depended on someone who was much smaller to give him confidence and lead him through life. The friendship between Johnny and Owen is unbelievable because I have never known anyone who is still best friends with someone from middle school. I would definately recommend this book to anyone!
| 
