Review: "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving

What is probably the most requested book to read from all of my friends, A Prayer for Owen Meany really is as good as people say it is, and that is a rare feat to both be something that has a lot of good word of mouth and is beloved by countless number of readers, but for that to be surpassed by how good it is what makes a book like this not only a classic, but one that holds up throughout generations of readers. It is also rare for a certain book by a writer to be not only his most famous book, but also arguably his best one, barring a select few who have personal favorites, which is bound to happen with someone with a library as large and distinguished as John Irving’s. Comparing it to the other two books of his I have read, it is the clear best. It has a stronger sense of tragicomedy than The World According to Garp, and has a larger, more epic scope than The Cider House Rules and it never veers off into unwanted territory like those two did, with its cast of characters being for the most part ones I didn’t mind spending time with (although Owen can be a real prick) and it was never boring, even though Irving’s books take a very long time to read. It is clear why this book is still read today by many young and old readers. It has something for everyone, even if you are a cold-hearted cynic. The plot, which I assume everyone reading this review knows about, centers of John Wheelwright, a politically despondent American expatriate living in Canada working as an English teacher at an elite Academy. In between bouts of political dissidence, he recounts his early life and friendship with Owen Meany, a strange boy with a high-pitched voice and stunted growth, who, he reveals in the novels opening, is the reason he believes in God. He goes on to tell us why through many little stories he has involving Owen and his belief that he is God’s instrument meant for greater things. The real joy of this book is all the little details that seem very arbitrary at first, but mean so much more when we reach the final moments of the novel. Things like the angel Owen sees hovering over John’s mom one night, to the fateful day Owen killed John’s mom during a baseball game and the eponymous dress mannequin in John’s house, all these things come together at the end, where I can bet most people will be crying by. It really is a novel about the importance of faith in a world that seems to lack any such higher being to protect us. It shows the importance of little things meaning a lot, and the possibility of coincidences not existing and everything having a purpose, or as Lester Freamon said, “All the pieces matter.” Cannot recommend this book enough, and hope you like at as much as I did.

Rating: 5/5