Comments (45)

What did you think about this title?
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Aug 31, 2023ch3rnych3rny rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed most of this book but, at over 600 pages, it is too long and could have very comfortably had 150 pages cut without the plot or primary character (ie Owen Meany) skipping a beat. The narrator, John Wheelwright, Owen’s best friend,…
Aug 28, 2023
World book night 2012
Jun 24, 2023Anita_Dickey rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I read this book for the 52 books in 52 weeks reading challenge. I used the summer mini challenge prompt read a book about best friends. I honestly don't really know how to rate this book. One one hand, It made me laugh so hard. It also…
Apr 04, 2022Kimberleygray rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
The story has alot of religious undertones. I had a hard time really getting into the story. My husband and daughter both thought it was a great story. I felt like it was about 200 pages too long. The premise of the story is good but…
Mar 12, 2021maiki69 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Prayer, in practice, is to hope against hope. Merriam Webster defines it as: 1(a): an address (such as a petition) to God or a god in word or thought; (b): a set order of words used in praying; (c): an earnest request or wish. 2: the act…
Sep 21, 2020SAPL454 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
An ample title from a prestigious writer! Owen Meany deserves all the help he can get!
Mar 16, 2020mikey69 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Owen Meany is perhaps Irving's most comically genuine character to date. He's a slight fella, given none of the breaks life has to offer, and speaks only in CAPITAL LETTERS. He's also a patriot and stands closer to God than anybody you're…
Jun 17, 2019
This isbn 9780688077082 is paperback version; small print, many many pages. Hardcover format would be easier to read.
Apr 26, 2019ArapahoeAnnaL rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book for its characters, plot, and hilarious scenes (which had me laughing out loud). The deeper themes of religious faith vs. doubt and free will vs. predestination were intriguing. Owen Meany's outrage at political deceit…
Mar 22, 2019maipenrai rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
In almost 70 years of reading one of the absolute best!!!!! Kristi & Abby Tabby
Sep 16, 2018woodsbaker rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is THE great American novel. Funny, touching, and completely heart-breaking. I have purchased multiple copies of this book to give to many of my closest friends. It is the only one that I have done that.
Sep 13, 2018
Authentic characters live in this richly textured story which begins in a small New Hampshire town in the 1960s. John Irving's use of ALL CAPS to symbolize Owen's unique voice is inspired.
Aug 08, 2018made_up_name rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This may be the best American novel ever written.
Jul 18, 2018darladoodles rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This is quite a tale. You could also call it The Gospel of Owen Meany. He truly was a picture of Christ, especially in death. It reminded me of Forrest Gump in some ways, too. I decided to read this book after seeing it on the Great…
Aug 15, 2017EthanMcCarthy rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Fantastic tale! The comedy -drama is full of surprises and humour. The plot is incredibly well crafted and leads to a stunning climax although clues have been left along the journey. Very gripping-really enjoyed it -read it within a week.
Apr 13, 2017
This beautiful story about the life of our protagonist John Wheelwright takes us through many genuinely unexpected twists and turns, which explore many mature themes in a manner that makes you as the reader take it seriously enough to care…
Mar 30, 2017sgcf rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book - so powerful! Irving is a brilliant story teller, perfectly structuring the complex themes of friendship, religion, politics & principles, and fate vs free will. His language and imagery is exquisitely rich; his vividly…
Jun 25, 2016wandalynn rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
The male bonding thing just didn't click for me and the ending was not worth the buildup. I'd have been fine with stopping after the first sentence; it pretty much did sum up the entire book.
Jun 10, 2016bogwolf rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
I quite liked Garp, but Owen Meany less. I think the central reason is that the narrator of Prayer for Owen Meany, Johnny Wheelwright, is aggrieved yet passive. This puts us, the readers, in the position of listening to him complain but…
Dec 29, 2015matth1949 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I too laughed and cried while reading A Prayer for Owen Meany. I took it to be "Christian Neutral" satirizing religious folks who happened to claim to be Christians. I sympathize with questioning the wars we have engaged in since…
Jul 03, 2015BellaD123 rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
I didn't warm up to the story. It was difficult to imagine Owen Meany as a plausible, real person. Overall, I found this book to take an anti-Christian stance, which can be offensive to some, myself included, particularly considering the…
Jun 21, 2015dmacarthur rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Really great read. At first I wondered why my friend lent this book to me in the first place, however, as I kept reading I didn't want to put the book down. Really really enjoyed this book.
Dec 20, 2014Chapel_Hill_KenMc rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading this book, but I think it ranks right up there with the best books of the 20th century. It's near-perfect in its structure, and the characters are brilliantly written. I won't…
Dec 12, 2014becker rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Based on many other wonderful reviews for this book, I clearly missed the magic when I read it. I wasn't able to bond with the characters at all and I thought big chunks of it were just tedious to get through. It's not that I don't see the…
Sep 05, 2014Ambershadow rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite books of all time. Irving is genius in the way he brings the novel down to one final moment. It all makes sense. Read this; your life will never be the same.