A Prayer for Owen Meany

Rating:
Summary: I hate giving 5 stars, but had to...
Review: I'm trying to be picky about giving 5 stars to any book that I've read and reviewed. But to NOT give the highest rating to this book, I feel, would be a crime.

I've read a lot of novels where character development made me get so close, that I had to back off before the ending so I wouldn't become too involved (and find myself yelling, or crying, or generally making a fool of myself wherever I was when I finished the book). But never, have I had to back off multiple times. THAT'S how powerful this character is...this Owen Meaney; this instrument of God; this friend I miss now that I've finished the novel.

A+ rating.

Rating:
Summary: An inspirational story that keeps me going!
Review: A Prayer for Owen Meany is the best book I have ever read. I keep comming back to it and each time it inspires me and assures me that life isnt as dark as it sometimes seems. This book should be read by anyone who doubts in the beauty and wonder of life!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent writing
Review: This book is the first I've read of John Irving, and I know I'll be reading more. It's a finely written story about two friends, their families, a search for a biological father, and the troubles, joys and miracles of growing up.

On a quick flip-through before I really got into the story, I was initially dismayed to find ALL OF OWEN MEANY'S WORDS IN UPPERCASE. I thought it be annoying, but it worked perfectly well to help create Owen's character. All of the characters are extremely well defined; they are realistic people you feel like you know after reading the novel.

Yes, the book is long, but not unnecessarily so. It keeps moving from beginning to end. There's always a question in the reader's mind, always a mystery that you want to get to the bottom of. You're flirted with as you read; you occasionally get nuggets of truth that help put the puzzle together. And as you're trying to get to the bottom of these mysteries, you're awed by a storyline that is touching, nostalgic, makes you laugh out loud, and may make you cry - but it is never boring. My only complaint was that the ending scene was a bit anticlimactic after all the anticipation. A wonderful read.

Rating:
Summary: If you're over 50, Owen Meany will make you cry
Review: A Prayer for Owen Meany has been reviewed as a funny/ entertaining story. It is surely entertaining, but I found it heart wrenching. Owen and his best friend John, are characters so well drawn that you become part of their extended family. You cheer at Owen's triumphs, feel the injustice of what he suffers, and come to love him for the unique person he is. You must ultimately empathize with John, when as adults he and Owen spend Owen's last days remembering and talking about their past. Throughout the entire book, John's heartache is palpable. Ostensibly set in the 1980s, the real story flashes back to the late 50s and the Vietnam War period; those who were soldiers, peace agitators, or somewhere in between will recognize the feelings and some of the experiences of Johnny and Owen. Owen's immense spirituality and pragmatism are the crown jewels around which this story is crafted. I loved it, and it made me cry! Thank you John Irving.

Rating:
Summary: TOO LONG!!!!
Review: I read this book for a high school english class, and by that I mean I listened to the in-class discussions. This book's main idea is religious faith. Fine! Be religious! But actually do it, instead of rambling on for 650 pages about growing up in New Hampshire. The story is good if it was meant to be a story about two kids growing up in a small New England town, instead of one of them being an instrument of God.
On that subject, one needs not even read the book to know the whole story. Simply look at the back cover. It says "Owen Meany believes he is an instrument of God. He is." The last two words give away the entire ending. The entire book the reader is spent wondering if Owen really is an instrument, when the question is answered on the back cover. The book is spent building up to the dramatic last twenty pages, which really isn't as dramatic as it should be. Think of it as having sex for four hours, and then ending without an orgasm. That's about what this book is like.

P.S. On the subject of Christian literature, if you want to read a good Christian book that will keep you hanging on till the last page, read Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Novel Told on a Grand Scale
Review: This is the second John Irving novel i've read, the first being the famous The World According to Garp. While I don't think this novel is quite as good as Garp, it is still a fully developed and thought provoking look at the nature of faith and friendship.

The novel is told from the point of view of Johnny Wheelwright, the best friend Owen Meany, who is of diminutive size and has a distinct and high pitched voice. The scope of the novel is huge, as it essentially encompasses the entire life story of Owen and Johnny. Owen is convinced he is the instrument of god and is on earth to do his duty. The plot of the novel is extremely complex and I won't reveal any tidbits, a lot of the enjoyment of the novel is finding out what unpredictable moment Irving will come up with next.

Though i'm not a very religious person, I was still affected by the deeply personal story Irving has told. The novel's only flaw is the ending, which isn't awful but it seems a bit contrived. It is vintage Irving however as he is able to bring several hanging plot threads together into the pivotal and climatic scene. If you've seen the movie Signs, it's clear where Shalayman got his idea for the ending of his film.

This is novel is an absolute must read for Irving fans and literature fans in general. It is a wonderful and thought provoking novel that will hold your enjoyment for a long time.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Story, Disgusting Narrator
Review: This is a rich, thoughtful and amusing tale involving several characters surrounding Owen Meany, a mysticism-steeped little scrapper who was apparently destined to play major roles in the lives of people around him. For that alone, this book is well worth reading.

The narrator, however, constantly denigrated the US government's executive administration of those times, revealing a severe misunderstandings for how to deal with evil in the world -- in addition to a lot of weak personal insecurity. His whining and carping distracted significantly from an otherwise satisfying tale.

Rating:
Summary: Not my favorite John Irving book...
Review: While I do agree that Irving has a unique way of developing characters, dialogue, comedy and plotting that is "magical," this book is not Irving's best. Very slow moving. It has moments of "laugh-out-loud" humor, however, the narrator's current day musings of his life in Canada are superflous hyperbole. The dark undertones of this book are typical Irving, but I was left wanting more in the end. I would recommend GARP or Hotel New Hampshire to a friend, but not Owen Meany.

Rating:
Summary: A Prayer for Owen Meany
Review: Having come from the same adolescent time period, while John Irving was a commuter student at my school, the University of New Hampshire, I always feel John Irving represents my class of 1965 rather well. We young men went to Vietnam, with our ROTC commissions and degrees delivered, to go through an experience which only our generation (that before the flower-power war protesters 3 years later) could know about. John Irving's works seem to express the exasperating knowledge that we acquired as young college students of the 1961-1965 time period. His pain is ours and this novel expresses the moments before everyone knew what could only come with time. My book, OUTLAWS IN VIETNAM, tells of the helicopter flying we performed in the Delta in 1966-67, and during our exploits we realized a great deal of what he writes about in this book. It will continue to be a favorite of mine.

Rating:
Summary: A Favorite
Review: This novel seems to have it all - great story, well drawn characters who are likable in their humaness, humor, ....
The story is compelling. I really wanted to know what was going to happen, yet could put it down satisfied to ponder it at almost any time.

This wonderful story of faith was writen by a man who claims to have no faith. A person of faith, I am indebted to John Irving for this novel. It is my favorite book to date.