Rating: 
Summary: Irving could give us better
Review: Am I the only reader who thought Simon Birch was a great Movie? I read A Prayer for OM after I saw the Movie, and the book was great too. I wish that Irving could be as intelligent and thoughtfull with his political ramblings as he is in his plot development. And that BS about Hester becoming a rock star, my 13 year old also tends to develop fantastic and irrelevant plot lines in his novels. However, I loved the book, put it down and ruminated every so often in order to prolong the pleasure.
Rating: 
Summary: Another classic by Mr. Irving
Review: Mr. Irving brings forth another great novel. The characters are beautifully tragic and human. He grips the reader from the very first sentence and keeps you holding on. I could not imagine a better novel. I actually dreamt about the ending and woke up crying about five times during the night. It was as powerful as a train roaring through a quiet New Hampshire town. I could not recommend this enough to anyone who would like to revive their passion for reading.
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Summary: Irving's greatest work
Review: I just finished reading the book for the third time in ten years. This time, it was two years into my walk as a Christian. I think that gave the book a little greater depth than I remember it having.As usual, Irving weaves an intricate tale full of twists, sub-plots and sub-themes with an unmatched craftsmanship. Only Irving could write something so complicated and keep it simple enough to not only keep the reader interested, but to keep the reader from wanting to put the book down at all. It is the tale of two friends growing up together, discovering themselves, the physical world around them and also the spiritual world. It is a fascinating commentary on faith, religion and doubt. I was riveted. Only Irving can make me laugh so hysterically that I have to get out of bed for fear of waking my wife. Only he can write something so funny that I find myself laughing the next day. At the same time, Irving writes characters so real that I experience emotions like horror, sorrow and joy for them as deeply as I would a person I have known for sometime. Despite the lenght of this work, one ironic gift Irving exhibits is an economy of words. He can describe an event without going into great detail, yet giving the reader enough to go away with vivid images. Irving knows that people like to be teased, that their imaginations work best when there is something to work with. The way a good photographer of erotica doesn't photograph totally nude people because even the skimpiest cover leaves something for the imagination to work with. Irving is a genius and this is one of the best books of this century.
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Summary: the best book i have ever read
Review: there are no words that can justify the brilliance of this book
Rating:
Summary: funny, heartbraking and the modern (greek) tragedy
Review: This is definitely the BEST work of Irving (I've read all and like most of his books). The Owen Meany is the hero of a classic tragedy: foreseeble, sad but not in any way without point he suffers for his destination. Moreover: this book is one of the funniest I've ever read (and I read a lot). I still wonder how Irving could write such a marvel!
Rating:
Summary: Spiritual
Review: I've read everything by Irving, but Prayer for Owen Meany struck a chord. I think it takes a special person with a special slant on life to appreciate Irving's depth, I wish Hollywood would stop trying to recreate something that is only able to exist in written form. A rich book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Prayer for Owen Mean
Review: A friend of mine from Vermont tells me an interesting story that for me sums up how I feel about Irving's pseudo-left wing political rambling. When money was going to be taken from a wealthy school district in Vermont and used to help a poorer one, Irving wrote an inflammatory article, criticizing what was was probably one of the few political moves to help the needy in Vermont's history. Irving's comment was "When I was poor, I used to blame all my problems on the rich, but now that I'm rich, I know better than that." This to me sums up the narrative point of view of "Prayer." Basically, the character is a wishy washy wealthy WASP who hates all other ethnic groups, (though in a cute, New England kind of way). He criticizes Vietnam, yet also finds Abbie Hoffman to be a repulsive character, because he doesn't fit into his WASP understanding of clean toilets, maids wiping your ass, and a perfect set of cutlery at the dinner table. I suppose one shoulld be more polite when protesting a war. This seems to be the message in the novel. By the way, he dies in the end.
Rating:
Summary: Simply unforgettable!
Review: Nearly ten years ago I read 'A Prayer for Owen Meany'. I have to say that this is one of very few books that have made such a strong impact on me. I still remember it as I just should have finished it, followed by a very good feeling. This book is rare.
Rating:
Summary: It was amazing how it all came together
Review: I just couldn't believe how everything culminated in the end. I finished the book last night, and I don't want to give away the ending, but this book is definitely worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: an absolute classic
Review: I cannot recommend a book with more enthusiasm. After reading the novel multiple times, I am still entertained. Any words of excitement will not give the book justice.
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