A Prayer for Owen Meany (Unabridged)
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4.5 • 20 Ratings
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- $29.99
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- $29.99
Publisher Description
Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)
Of all of John Irving's books, this is the one that lends itself best to audio. In print, Owen Meany's dialogue is set in capital letters; for this production, Irving himself selected Joe Barrett to deliver Meany's difficult voice as intended.
In the summer of 1953, two 11-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 and terrifying.
As an added bonus, when you purchase our Audible Modern Vanguard production of John Irving's book, you'll also get an exclusive Jim Atlas interview that begins when the audiobook ends.
Customer Reviews
A Prayer For Owen Meany
My favourite book of all time and read just as I imagined
A Brilliant, Rich Story, Not to be Missed
This was my first taste of John Irving's brilliant writing. I have rarely felt so completely involved in the characters of a book, he actually brings them to life and one by one they are such rich personalities. From John Wheelwright's eccentric cousins Hester and her two battling brothers, to Dan Needham John's step father, to John's grandmother and all the other people we meet along the way. But Owen Meany the tiny complex character with a high squeaky voice whose magnetism and confidence are larger than life, is by far the character that will stay with you forever. Owen Meany is following a divine plan from the beginning of the novel right to the end and because of this plan he saves John, his best friend, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The life story of these two boys is narrated by John Wheelwright, who in comparison to Owen is dry, wimpy and rather flat. These two boys are tied together for life the day Owen's baseball hits John's mother and kills her. The book volleys back and forth from their childhood in the 1950s to 1987 when John is a teacher at a girls school in Toronto. I found his jumping back and forth from childhood in New Hampshire to his later life in Canada confusing, but Irving keeps you intrigued as he always has a mystery in progress to captivate you and he is always setting up scenes which come into play as the book continues. There was too much rambling about politics and it's very heavy on religious descriptions which could have been edited, but even those parts were were very well written. This book is about, faith, doubt, love, loyalty, trust, friendship, life and death. Filled with metaphors and symbolism, this is a rich novel that will not disappoint. What a gift John Irving has.
As for Joe Barrett the narrator, equally brilliant job. His dry narration of John Wheelright and his cracked squeaky falsetto voice of Owen Meany adds so much depth to the story. I can certainly understand why John Irving picked Joe Barrett to narrate he book. Afterall, not just anyone can be a great Owen Meany!
A Prayer for Owen Meany
One of if not the best book I have ever read... this book got me hooked on John Irving and I am working my way through his other books. He writes the most colourful characters with bizarre story lines that reel you into his world. Awesome!