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Summary: Laughed out loud one minute, cried the next
Review: What a roller coaster! I literally laughed out loud while reading Owen Meany. By the end, I was crying. Owen Meany is one of the best characters in all of literary history. His straight-forward approach to life was refreshing and John Irving developed him to the point that made me care about Owen and what his future held out for him. The story had many twists and turns that were surprising yet somehow made sense. The symolism was rich throughout - Owen's metaphoric comparisons to Christ made the book almost haunting. His wisdom made it appealing. I would recommend this book to anyone who has the patience to read over 600 pages. This is John Irving's best!
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Summary: A CLASSIC.
Review: Perhaps one of the finest novels I've ever read. I had first read "Prayer" a few years ago and although I found it both fascinating and stimulating then, I don't think that it had touched me the way it did this time around. The passages which describe Owen's faith shamed my lack of it. I was moved to tears and laughter and in a strange way some of my faith was restored. In what in particular I don't know but it evoked all sorts of feelings within me. I would recommend this book not only as a wonderful read, but for anyone who may want to get in touch with any long ago lost faith or hope. Or for anyone who'd like to welcome one of the best characters ever written into their lives. This book helped solidify John Irving as one of my favorite authors.
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Summary: Amazing characters & story; a little heavy on the politics
Review: I read this book in a few hours, and I fell in love with it. John Irving has a gift for story-telling, and the way he sets things up without the reader realizing it's a set-up is pure genius. I found myself growing bored with the political commentary, however, and towards the end of the novel I was just skipping over it to read about the characters. Don't let that deter you from reading though, and make sure you have some Kleenex!
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Summary: A Perfect Novel
Review: I can't describe how moved I was by this novel. Every word was so perfect. When I finished reading, I sat motionless in my chair with the book in my lap for a very long time, in sheer awe of the incredibly powerful ending to such a perfect, perfect story. And I have to add that, having spent time in Exeter, N.H., I feel a special connection to Owen and John. I stayed in a house on Front Street, 2 doors from the Grandmother's house; I walked past the baseball field where the fateful ball was hit; I saw the church where the preacher thought he saw John's mother; I visited the lecture hall where the headmaster's car was transported. It all made Owen's life seem so real. To this day I get a chill down my spine when I think about that novel. Perfect, perfect, perfect.
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Summary: NOBEL PRIZE WINNING BOOK FROM JOHN IRVING
Review: Yes, strange enough this book seems to be in the picture thanks to a movie that isn't out in my country yet. I hear bad things about the movie... But let us wait until Lasse Halstrom's "The Cider House Rules" coms out where John Irving wrote the script as well. Owen Meany my dear friends is without any doubt one of the best books you'll ever read. This story is so enormously absorbing that you must have a heart of stone and air for brains if you don't like this. This is GOURMET writing !!! It is funny, hard sometimes but always so close to any reader who likes to loose himself in a book. Jesus, words of critics don't mean anything, but please mr. Nobel when will Mr. Irving get his prize ? PURE POETRY . AN ALLTIME CLASSIC I HAVE READ OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN... A SPECIAL PLACE SHOULD BE KEPT IN ANY COLLECTION FOR THIS MARVELOUS STORY OF INNOCENCE. AGAIN, THANKS, A MILLION TIMES TO THE GREATEST STORYTELLER IN THE UNIVERSE MR. JOHN IRVING...
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Summary: GREAT READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This has to be one of the best books I have ever read (and I am an avid reader.) I recently saw the movie - "Simon Birch" - and while this movie was great - it could only portray a portion of Owen/Simon's life. The book is a great continuation of Owen (Simon's) life and I highly reccomend reading it if you enjoyed the movie. John Irving has the best character developement of any author I have ever read and I was sad to end the book and leave Owen's life. The book was great. It made me laugh and cry. Like I said before, it is one of the best books written.
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Summary: The real savior, Jesus, is reflected in Owen's life.
Review: This book by John Irving is an very moving story of a boy that is faced with not only the trials of his smallhood, but also the burden of the fact that his parents say he was a immaculate conception. The poor boy has to go through life with the uncertainty of his meaning in life due to his unusual circumstances, as well as knowing when he is going to die. He is awaiting the day of his death, knowing that he has a purpose to fulfill while still on earth. The relationship between Owen and his best friend John is like Jonathon and David in the Bible. Irving did a great job and bringing the two together, and making the reader love their freiendship as well as them each individually. Every second of the book is gut wrenching, and really hits your heart straight on. Everyone needs to read about the struggles and events in Owen's life and the comical and intelligent way that Irving puts them together.
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Summary: Irving's best novel since "The Hotel New Hampshire"!
Review: I first read "A Prayer for Owen Meany," in 1993. I re-read it in 1996. Owen's predestination is a millstone around his neck, comparable to "Misery" the dog in the "Hotel New Hampshire." It keeps showing up in the strangest places along the way. It is a novel worth reading many times, but not to be taken in the wrong context. It is pure entertainment, from the absurd to serious. My hat is off to you Mr. Irving!
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Summary: Owen Meany lives
Review: This is one of the only books that ever made me cry. It is simply a wonderful book. Stop everything and read this. Be prepared to sob your heart out.
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Summary: One of the most heart touching books of all time.
Review: It is one of those books that makes you laugh out loud at times and at others brings tears to your eyes. The worst aspect of the book is when you read the last sentence on the last page and have to say goodbye to its characters and their story.
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