A Prayer for Owen Meany

I love this book because it shows that being different does not exclude one from being an instrument of God. Owen Meany, with his unusual voice and diminutive stature, is an unforgettable character who, despite seeming out of place, becomes integral to a grander plan. His story resonated deeply with me, reminding me of my journey as a closeted gay man.

Like Owen, I felt different from everyone else and struggled with feelings of unworthiness—feelings that are now far behind me. This book celebrates the unusual and beautifully illustrates that every life has meaning and every person has a role… show more.

This is one of those rare books I have read more than once in adulthood. John Irving’s novel is a character study about Owen Meany, an odd, opinionated character, as seen in retrospect through his best friend John, a loner teacher at a Canadian private school.

As we follow the boys through the seemingly idyllic Fifties and turbulent Sixties in small-town New England, a number of mysteries come to light: who is John’s father? Why is Owen the way he is? What happened to this strange boy? How did John come to be the way he is? The answers are… show more.

I read this book on my honeymoon twenty years ago, and I couldn’t put it down. It made me laugh out loud to the point that I couldn’t help but read parts of it out loud to my husband.

I couldn’t help but root for Owen on the first page. His voice plunged me deep into the world and made me feel like I didn’t want the book to end. There’s such a bittersweet component to the story that felt comforting to me as well as spiritual.

Owen Meany is born abnormally short-statured to parents who don’t love him, though he finds a best friend who appreciates his spunk.

Not even his best friend, though, can explain why Owen believes he is destined to become a hero, going through crazy lengths to prepare. The crazier his actions became, though, I found myself simultaneously hoping for and dreading the day he would have to use his over-practiced skills. The way this intricate story unfolds still blows my mind, following Owen and his friend John from childhood to adulthood.

I’ll never stop recommending this book.

John Irving has long been a favorite of mine, from earlier novels like The Water-Method Man and The 158-Pound Marriage to The Cider House Rules and A Son of the Circus. Irving often focuses his work around a central theme, and in A Prayer for Owen Meany, he takes on the issue of conscription and the influences and impacts of the Vietnam War. He draws Owen Meany indelibly, imbuing the character with the hues of legend, as an almost mythical creature come to life in a way that has never left me.

If Owen Meany is the most unlikely hero you’ll ever meet, he’s also the one that made me think the hardest about whether we make our own fate. I first read this book over twenty years ago, and just the mention of Owen’s name conjures images of a small boy, his broken voice, and his unshakeable faith that he will fulfill a noble destiny. Set during the years around the Vietnam War, the story touches on the odd turns in life that we often put down to chance—or are they something more? A Prayer for Owen Meany is both irreverent… show more.

This is a big sprawling Dickensian novel, ambitious and unapologetically political and wildly comic without sacrificing feeling. Owen Meany seems to live to speak truth to power, in all caps to represent his strange "wrecked" voice. He's also tiny and suffers many indignities because of it, which may be why he’s so ferocious. I don't know that this novel would ever persuade a non-believer to believe in God (what novel would?), but Owen Meany certainly believes, and he frequently schools everyone around him. Also, if you've ever belonged to a church, you really shouldn’t miss the funniest Christmas pageant scenes… show more.