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A Prayer for Owen Meany: A Novel Kindle Edition

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 13,954 ratings

“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.

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Owen Meany is a dwarfish boy with a strange voice who accidentally kills his best friend's mom with a baseball and believes--accurately--that he is an instrument of God, to be redeemed by martyrdom. John Irving's novel, which inspired the 1998 Jim Carrey movie Simon Birch, is his most popular book in Britain, and perhaps the oddest Christian mystic novel since Flannery O'Connor's work. Irving fans will find much that is familiar: the New England prep-school-town setting, symbolic amputations of man and beast, the Garp-like unknown father of the narrator (Owen's orphaned best friend), the rough comedy. The scene of doltish the doltish headmaster driving a trashed VW down the school's marble staircase is a marvelous set piece. So are the Christmas pageants Owen stars in. But it's all, as Highlights magazine used to put it, "fun with a purpose." When Owen plays baby Jesus in the pageants, and glimpses a tombstone with his death date while enacting A Christmas Carol, the slapstick doesn't cancel the fact that he was born to be martyred. The book's countless subplots add up to a moral argument, specifically an indictment of American foreign policy--from Vietnam to the Contras.

The book's mystic religiosity is steeped in Robertson Davies's Deptford trilogy, and the fatal baseball relates to the fatefully misdirected snowball in the first Deptford novel, Fifth Business. Tiny, symbolic Owen echoes the hero of Irving's teacher Günter Grass's The Tin Drum--the two characters share the same initials. A rollicking entertainment, Owen Meany is also a meditation on literature, history, and God. --Tim Appelo

From Publishers Weekly

Although he is convincing in his appraisal of the tragedy of Vietnam and in his religious philosophizing, "Irving's storytelling skills have gone seriously astray in this contrived, preachy, tedious tale of the eponymous Owen Meany, a latter-day prophet and Christ-like figure who dies a martyr after having inspired true Christian belief in the narrator Johnny Wheelwright," warned PW . Author tour.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B006VE6TCW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mariner Books Classics; Reprint edition (March 13, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 13, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3510 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 1155 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0062205579
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 13,954 ratings

About the author

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John Irving
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John Irving published his first novel, Setting Free the Bears, in 1968. He has been nominated for a National Book Award three times-winning once, in 1980, for the novel The World According to Garp. He also received an O. Henry Award, in 1981, for the short story "Interior Space." In 1992, Mr. Irving was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2000, he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules-a film with seven Academy Award nominations. In 2001, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

For more information about the author, please visit www.john-irving.com

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
13,954 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They appreciate the memorable characters and their development. The story is emotional and thought-provoking, with a deep sense of spirituality and important themes. Many readers find the humor funny and entertaining. However, some feel the book is too long with overly detailed descriptions and wordiness.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

1,242 customers mention "Readability"1,223 positive19 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find the character remarkable and admirable. The writing is enjoyable, captivating, humorous, and thought-provoking. The concept is good and the sentences are memorable. Overall, it's a profound, literary novel that makes you feel and think.

"...the musings, the “seemingly nonsense” are all weaved together into a powerful, monumental, and emotional ending, leaving the reader totally wrecked..." Read more

"...Owen is a bit of a misfit, small for his age and brilliant and wise beyond his years...." Read more

"...There is no question that Irving is a brilliant writer. I thoroughly enjoyed The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules...." Read more

"...room, beers in hand, and I felt like I was reading a profound, literary novel with sentences and paragraphs I could really savor...." Read more

363 customers mention "Character development"335 positive28 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters. They appreciate the narrator's voice and expertise. The book includes scripture, hymns, and meditations.

"...All I knew going in was that this is billed as a phenomenal character study, and the protagonist hits that baseball where it shouldn’t have gone...." Read more

"...It is packed with scripture, hymns, and meditations on the deepest questions and doubts in life...." Read more

"...The narrator is excellent!" Read more

"...While it's a good story with some interesting characters and good scenes, there's just too much heavy handedness in the writing." Read more

354 customers mention "Story teller"289 positive65 negative

Customers find the book heartfelt and thought-provoking. They appreciate the complex human relationships and great characters that span a friendship and a lifetime. The storytelling is excellent, with a personal appeal on several levels. Readers appreciate the genuineness of childhood and the story of sadness, determination, and overcoming growing up.

"...” are all weaved together into a powerful, monumental, and emotional ending, leaving the reader totally wrecked and with enough to think about for..." Read more

"...The scenes set and characters developed when the boys are growing up are interesting...." Read more

"This is John Irving. He is a Master Storyteller. He writes beautifully in the English language....." Read more

"...If you live for a good ending, for a book that gathers its many strands together in a way that will explode your head, this is a book for you...." Read more

327 customers mention "Thought provoking"304 positive23 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and inspiring. They appreciate the spirituality, important themes, and life experiences. The novel is religious without being preachy. Biblical references are found throughout the story.

"...But boy, is it profound and oh, so rewarding...." Read more

"...I mention this only because I feel that this novel is rich with important themes and one's life experiences and personal beliefs play a significant..." Read more

"...I enjoyed the writing a great deal and was able to suspend disbelief and accept the character of Owen Meany as maybe miraculous...." Read more

"...sat in my living room, beers in hand, and I felt like I was reading a profound, literary novel with sentences and paragraphs I could really savor...." Read more

285 customers mention "Humor"255 positive30 negative

Customers find the book humorous with witty dialogue and scenes of high comedy. They describe it as an entertaining read with good grammar and beautiful prose. The book is described as well-written without fluff or excessive vocabulary.

"...only did this book give me so much to think about, but it also made me laugh louder and longer than any other book I can recall...." Read more

"...The author has a witty way with words that give a tongue-in-cheek humor to a lot of situations and it is something that I truly appreciated...." Read more

"...I laughed until I cried, and I cried with sadness. I purchased both the paperback and the audiobook...." Read more

"...Sometimes the the things they get into are very funny. Some are serious...." Read more

205 customers mention "Wordiness"104 positive101 negative

Customers have different views on the writing style. Some find it superb and easy to read, with a perfect narrator. Others find the narration annoying, there is bad language, and the writing complex with lengthy sentences. Overall, opinions are mixed on the wordiness of the book.

"...I enjoyed the writing a great deal and was able to suspend disbelief and accept the character of Owen Meany as maybe miraculous...." Read more

"...There was a purposeful lack of clairty for most of the book about the motivations behind some of his adult choices, vague due to the story arc, and..." Read more

"...But this is a set up, a dry comedy. This novel is written in the first person singular, but the person: Johnny Wheelwright is connected to Owen..." Read more

"...For parents: This book is a robust PG-13. There is a bit of foul language and some adult scenes that, while not pornographic by any means, are plain..." Read more

164 customers mention "Pacing"68 positive96 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it masterful and straightforward, with good scenes and an easy transition between past and present. Others feel the book starts out slow and drags in parts.

"...It is nearly 700 pages, it can meander, and it is not action packed. But boy, is it profound and oh, so rewarding...." Read more

"...climactic scene at the end of the book, though it made sense and was dramatic, still went too fast and ended too abruptly for me...." Read more

"...This book is good, although at some points it can come across slow. Another part of this book is that there is religion in it...." Read more

"...John Irving's prose and his pacing are masterful...." Read more

135 customers mention "Length"35 positive100 negative

Customers find the book too long. They say it's filled with overly detailed descriptions and that the book could have been shortened.

"...This book was different. Besides its extreme length, it combines various aspects of a novel into one book...." Read more

"...The book could use editing. It is far too long and tedious in several sections...." Read more

"...its length is not all that painful, however; and also that its length is justified...." Read more

"...I finally purchased it. I'll confess I was overwhelmed by its length..." Read more

A Perfect Book
5 out of 5 stars
A Perfect Book
One of my top five favorites! Such a well crafted novel with crazy characters that are rooted and believable. I laughed, I cried, I finished this book and started it all over again.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2021
    5 stars

    I must start by saying this is by far the most unique book I have ever read! All I knew going in was that this is billed as a phenomenal character study, and the protagonist hits that baseball where it shouldn’t have gone. But Lordy, this tale is far more than that.

    The story is narrated by Owen’s best friend, Johnny Wheelwright, who has his own story to tell as well. Owen is an irritating little fella who stands just under 5 feet, is light as a feather, and has a whiny, screamy, baby voice. And what a spitfire he is! For a great portion of this tome I wondered how he was going to come out of this looking good. But gradually I warmed up to him and ultimately fell in love.

    Sometimes (OK, a lot of times) I was uncertain where the book was going, and the timeline jumps about. The story, set for the most part in New Hampshire, begins in the early 1950s and moves forward through the years until the mid 1960s. It then hops to the late 80s, catching us up on Johnny’s life. From that point it moves back and forth between the past and the 80s. Throughout all this we wade through quite a few philosophical soliloquys, mainly about the Vietnam war and about religion. But be patient. As the end approaches all the little vignettes, the musings, the “seemingly nonsense” are all weaved together into a powerful, monumental, and emotional ending, leaving the reader totally wrecked and with enough to think about for years to come. I had never read John Irving before, but his works are now square in the middle of my radar. This man is stunningly brilliant!

    Not only did this book give me so much to think about, but it also made me laugh louder and longer than any other book I can recall. I always read while eating breakfast and lunch and nearly choked several times while reading the chapters entitled “The Angel”, “The Little Lord Jesus”, and “The Ghost of the Future.” Priceless!

    I dreamed about this book. That has never happened before. And how ironic that it was THIS book that was the first I ever dreamt about. You will understand if you read the book.

    Do I recommend A Prayer for Owen Meany? Does the sun rise every morning? But you must commit to it. It is nearly 700 pages, it can meander, and it is not action packed. But boy, is it profound and oh, so rewarding. It will without a doubt be on my top ten (or five or three or better) list of all time when I ultimately make my way to the big kindle in the sky.
    36 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2015
    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.

    This is one of the mot powerful opening sentences I have ever read in a novel, and it sets the tone for the rest of the novel.  I read this book at the behest of two high school friends, Laurie and Ginny.  We three live in different parts of the country, have lived very different lives, and likely come at the themes of A Prayer for Owen Meary from very different perspectives.  I mention this only because I feel that this novel is rich with important themes and one's life experiences and personal beliefs play a significant role in the interpretation of those themes.

    The story is narrated by John Wheelwright from the perspective of his middle-aged self, telling the stories of his youth in Gravesend, New Hampshire and interspersing them with commentary on his present.  His stories center on his best friend, the title character Owen Meary.  John comes from an old, well-established family, while Owen comes from a working class family in the granite industry... an industry that John's aristocratic grandmother deems to be "dirty."

    John, while from a privliged family, has never known his father.  His mother referred to John as the product of a "little fling," refusing to disclose the identity of his father to him, or to her mother and sister.  Despite the scandal of having a child out of wedlock at that time, she held her head high and was never ashamed.  She loved her child and she loved to sing, and she did them both without shame.  But then a freak accident takes his mother, an accident that changes Owen, too.  It is that accident that causes John to begin to wonder about his father.  Owen encourages his quest, insisting that God will show him the answers he seeks.  

    Owen is a bit of a misfit, small for his age and brilliant and wise beyond his years.  There is something about him that commands attention, from his peers and adults alike.  He is strong in his faith and feels that he is God's hand on earth.  His dialogue is present in all caps, further underlining the idea that Owen is somehow more than human, somehow divine.  He constantly reminds John, as he falters in his faith, that faith takes practice and that sometimes he just has to accept that.  

    The religious themes are prevalent throughout the novel and, at first, this was a bit off-putting for me.  I tend to stay away from strongly religiously-themed novel, generally finding them to be more "preachy" than I enjoy.  I think your own personal experience/relationship with religion really plays into those themes. I was raised Episcopalian, but I pretty much have eschewed orgainized religion, being more spiritual than religious. So I probably had different feelings and ideas about those themes than others who embrace their faith more readily. But the pressure on Owen to live up to his parents' (and his own) assertations about his destiny is something that I think anyone can have empathy for.

    And there is no question that the Army girl still in me had some conflicted feelings about the military/war themes. I had a hard time really feeling for the narrator, outside of his love for Owen.  There was a purposeful lack of clairty for most of the book about the motivations behind some of his adult choices, vague due to the story arc, and it led me to believe that John was something/someone other than who he turned out to be.  My assumptions, which I think were perhaps intended by the author, led me to dislike the adult version of his character due to my own military experiences.  Some of his ideas presented by his adult self, while I understood the reasons behind them, sometimes rubbed me the wrong way. There was also a moment in which Owen decides to dramatically help John try to avoid the draft that also conflicted me.  It was a drastic moment, one that was done out of love, but it was the acceptance of Owen's dubious gift by John that bothered me, once again because of my own military experiences.  But, then again, the subjects of war and politics are often those of controversy, aren't they?!

    My Recommendation:  This is a thinking book, not a light read.  There are strong themes in this novel, themes that make you question your own thoughts, beliefs, and faith.  Yet there are also moments that are suprisingly funny.  The author has a witty way with words that give a tongue-in-cheek humor to a lot of situations and it is something that I truly appreciated.  I think that this is a book that will continue to reveal more of itself with subsequent readings.
    60 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2024
    I am having trouble writing this review. I have read other reviews and apparently other readers were able to dissect this book better than I could. There is no question that Irving is a brilliant writer. I thoroughly enjoyed The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules. This book was different. Besides its extreme length, it combines various aspects of a novel into one book. There is the coming of age and life in a small town in New England. There is the religious aspect and themes of faith (which is probably the main point of the book). There is the mystery aspect of who is John's father and what will really happen to Owen Meany. And finally, there is the commentary on current events that try to place this novel in real time and place for the reader. I'm not sure that they all worked together well when put into one book. Thus, I don't think that I can give this five stars. I enjoyed the writing a great deal and was able to suspend disbelief and accept the character of Owen Meany as maybe miraculous. But all the religion in the book was hard to get into for me. And though I agreed with much of the political commentary, I'm not sure it fit seamlessly into the story. The character of John, who it the narrator of the story strikes me as annoyingly passive and clueless. A lot of the references and symbolism in the book went obviously over my head. And finally, the climactic scene at the end of the book, though it made sense and was dramatic, still went too fast and ended too abruptly for me. So, there is a lot to like in this book, especially the writing, and a lot to take in. It is up to each reader to decide for themselves (obviously).
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Eliot
    5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect gift to myself
    Reviewed in Canada on April 2, 2023
    I wanted to express my thanks for receiving a perfect copy of John Irving's a prayer for Owen Meaney.
    It is a pristine copy and it arrived on the date you said it would. Highly satisfactory product and you have complete customer satisfaction as I am over the moon.

    I read this book every year so I treated myself to a hard copy, as my other was falling apart and I am very pleased. Thanks for your hard work and ongoing service to readers around the world.

    - Donna AC
  • azerty
    5.0 out of 5 stars un roman magnifique
    Reviewed in France on January 4, 2024
    Il faut passer la difficulté des premières pages pour s'attacher au personnage d'Owen. Irving de sa plus belle plume ( ici en anglais dans le texte et c'est pas plus mal) nous conte cette belle amitié avec des ingrédients Irvinesque comme la dérision, l'humour, le dramatique. Belle œuvre.
  • Paola
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bellissimo
    Reviewed in Italy on February 24, 2023
    Una storia incredibile che regala molti sorrisi, tante riflessioni e qualche lacrima.
    La lunghezza lo rende impegnativo ma vale tutte le ore spese a leggerlo
  • Cliente de Kindle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un bello libro. It touched me.
    Reviewed in Mexico on January 23, 2018
    A quien sea que crea en Dios. Un Dios más allá de cualquier religión. Y a aquel que como yo dude sobre que relación que tiene El con nosotros.
  • Sara
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in Japan on November 5, 2024
    It held my interest and read it in about a week.

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