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Summary: A great gift for young adults
Review: Close to a personal epiphany was what this book meant for me. I have not read many (read: any) contemporary fiction aside from graphic novels but I forced myself to finish this book and now believe I am better for it. Very incisive
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Summary: A wonderful book
Review: Q: Why do I think John Irving is a genius? A: Because I read A Prayer for Owean Meany about 5 years ago. This is absolutely the best book I have ever read. This novel reminds me of Flannery O'Connor's literature, but I never found a character in her works that I fell in love with like I did with Owen Meany. Some of my friends said the book drags too much in the middle, so if you lose interest in things easily, I wouldn't imagine you would be patient enough to finish this book. Granted, there are some scenes that are slow moving, but I enjoyed every single page in this book. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under 17, only because you need to be at least that old to understand the Christian imagery which is so important to the novel. But even as an adult, each time I read it, I find something I missed before. That's the beauty of truly good writing.
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Summary: A Must Read
Review: This is far and away Irving's best work. This will soon be a classic. Far better than his two most recent works, this is a must read.
Rating: 
Summary: excellent read
Review: This book was truly an excellent read. It was touching and enthralling.. it captured my attention and I was ultimately forced to finish it in two sittings. It hits issues that are close to home and creates certain situations that make you wonder..."what would I do if I did that?" Although slow at times, and contrived, it is definitely worth reading.
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Summary: Owen Meany, what a great book
Review: I loved this book but I think it is probably a love it/hate it book. Our book club read it and most of the ladies did not care for it. I however, really enjoyed it. Yes, Owen's voice did get annoying in the LARGE PRINT and I could hear it (in my mind like Froggy from the Little rascals) very clearly. But the story was great. It is well written, with many passages of humor, and also saddness. The parallels to Christianity are interesting--imagine Owen as Jesus, the female cousin (whose name escapes me) as Mary Magdalene, and John is "just Joseph" always there, but with no great part in the story, just an observer. The movie "Simon Birch" loosely based on the story line, was a disappointment, with too many elements of the story changed. But I did enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: good but long
Review: The main deterrent that might keep anyone from reading A Prayer For Owen Meany is its length. Irving describes everything in the book you could possibly imagine. Although much of this description adds to the imagery and vividness of the book, much of it is unnessesary and by editing out perhaps 150 pages of this book, it could have became a masterpiece instead of just exceptional. However, Irving perfectly illustrates what he wants to: the character of Owen Meany, a person so in touch with his faith that he becomes God's instrument. The setting, too is perfect and contributes to the reality of the novel. Also, as a reader that did not grow up during the Vietnam years, I have gained what I believe to be an understanding of that era which would never have gained in any other medium. I would recommend this book to anyone struggling with their faith, anyone that wants to understand the 60's, or anyone else who has a large portion of time.
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Summary: the BEST BOOK ever, as Owen would say!
Review: ok, don't read the review by the guy who wrote a whole synopsis of the plotline and the characters...he's annoying. This book is an amazing read. Everyone I've recommended it to says they think it's hard to get into however I think if you give it a try you'll really like it. It's very Dickenesian in a 1950's Amercian sort of way. JUST READ IT!
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Summary: A Perfectly Imperfect Novel
Review: Dear readers everywhere -- we all can agree that no novel is perfect. Such a notion would falter under the fact of our own, individual literary discretion, and respect for that of other individual readers. However -- you must have known "however" was coming -- if ever a novel of our current generation could lay claim to near-perfection, a book of five-star satisfaction to almost all, with all our individual literary discretion, Owen Meany is it. As with The Cider House Rules, Irving respects us enough to have done amazingly thorough research, and has skillfully inserted effective metaphors and symbolism without being intrusive -- very important if you are not into that sort of thing. This is a book to lose yourself in the first time you read it. If you are a writer, this is a book to cure your writer's block. Of course it's not perfect; it's perfectly imperfect, and reigns atop the literary mountain -- so says my individual literary opinion. Hope you agree.
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Summary: Unforgettable!
Review: Having just finished A Prayer For Owen Meany, the story is still fresh in my head. Owen Meany is a touching, utterly unforgettable story- wonderful! John and Owen- unlikely friends- one rich, one poor, one tall, one short. One craven, the other brave- totally unlikely, but the best of friends. The story follows their lives together, and sometimes, apart. Owen Meany is a wonderful character, and this book has become my favorite book. It also prompted me to read other John Irving novels, such as The Cider House Rules. If you read only one book in your life, I would say that A Prayer For Owen Meany should be it.
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Summary: One of my all-time favorites
Review: This is one of my favorite books of all time. It's hard to describe a book as good as this one. I laughed. I cried. And when it was over, I wanted to read again and again. I highly recommend this book.
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