A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving

A Prayer for Owen Meany

By John Irving

  • Release Date: 2012-03-13
  • Genre: Classics
4.5 Score: 4.5 (From 655 Ratings)

Book Synopsis

“A remarkable novel. . . . A Prayer for Owen Meany is a rare creation. ... An amazingly brave piece of work ... so extraordinary, so original, and so enriching. . . . Readers will come to the end feeling sorry to leave [this] richly textured and carefully wrought world.” —STEPHEN KING, Washington Post

I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice—not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany.

In the summer of 1953, two eleven-year-old boys—best friends—are playing in a Little League baseball game in Gravesend, New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills the other boy's mother. The boy who hits the ball doesn't believe in accidents; Owen Meany believes he is God's instrument. What happens to Owen after that 1953 foul ball is extraordinary.

A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick

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Latest Impressions

  • Flowed

    5
    By snatched...
    Great, thoughtful
  • Thank you, Mr. Irving…

    5
    By Ekahivillage
    Amazing work of art. Will put it in my top ten and reread again.
  • Prayer for Owen Meany

    5
    By YayaNetski
    This is one of the best books I have ever read. It grabbed me from the start. The characters came alive. The plot was interesting . The line kept you intrigued and involved. There was a bit of a lull but you get pulled back in with full force.
  • Read this book 3 times over the years, so glad it popped up here!

    5
    By cinderella 96761
    Am downloading it now to read again. I’m not good with words, so I can’t really describe what I loved about it, but I also saw the movie and would 12.10 watch again!
  • Great

    5
    By Trees am
    I hated when I finished it.
  • A prayer for Owen Meany

    5
    By Skipperpi1812
    Hands down the most Dickensian novel of the modern era of American literature. Those on here squawking about it being a laborious read, would probably be better served by continuing their delving into “The Twilight Saga”.
  • Owen is like no other

    5
    By judevelez
    John Irving does it again!
  • Unique & Fascinating!

    4
    By pegg12
    3.5 stars A Prayer for Owen Meany is a unique and fascinating literary fiction read. I had a difficult time rating this book, because, although I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and found it captivating, humorous, and thought-provoking, it is bloated. The author could have easily shaved off two hundred pages and made this book not only easier to read but more enjoyable as well. The story itself, however, is unique, multilayered, controversial, and just plain fascinating. Owen Meany is an adult who has been teased since childhood. He is barely five feet tall and weighs less than one hundred pounds. Although Owen’s voice is strangled and screechy, whenever he speaks, people listen. Owen Meany is brilliant, witty, outspoken, and rebellious. He is also kind, loving and selfless. Owen is an enigma. Although Owen and John were two very different people, they have been best friends for forever. Owen came from a poor and depressed home where both of his parents were mentally handicapped. John came from a fatherless but loving home, where he lived with his mother and grandmother. Often, imperfect people, are used by God, to influence and teach others, life lessons. Owen was such a person, and he knew what his purpose was. A Prayer For Owen Meany is a book that will grip your heart, trigger your anger, make you think, laugh out loud and cry. It’s a fascinating book that will leave an imprint on your heart.
  • It won't let me read it

    3
    By Not good for iPhone
    I would like to read the book but it doesn't let me
  • Brutal

    2
    By Msllllll
    I felt compelled to read this after reading all the reviews, and honestly I tried ... I am an avid reader and have read many of the classics but this was a brutal read. One interesting character cannot carry this book in this case. Too much "filler" and not enough substance..I can't drag myself back to read the end .. Feels like a forced read for school that I'll be tested on.