A Prayer for Owen Meany (Unabridged)
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4.4 • 120 Ratings
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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
THANKS to John for Owen
I read this because of the high recommendations, which were SPOT ON--even bought the book. This is one of those novels that will stay with you, and remind you of what GREAT writing and GIFTED storytelling really is, and may even become your FAVORITE novel. Irving's writing is the high notch. The characters are HUGE--like fabulous Dickensonian beings, and the accounts of their friendship and exploits elicited from me belly laughs and heart wrenching tears. Timely paralels...John Wheelwright comments venemously about the "moral disaster" of America during the Viet Nam era--I wonder what he would say about our political, economical, and societal morality today?
Love the story; hate the narration
I wish they had given a preview of how the narrator handles Owen's voice before I purchased this audiobook. Of all the John Irving books, this is my favorite, but it will forever be a little ruined for me now. I wish narrators would do just that: narrate. And stop trying to ACT.
Incomparable
One of the most original books ever written. Classic Irving — it blends humor and sorrow in a way that makes them inseparable. Might be tricky to translate Owen's squeaky voice in audio. His voice is so important in the book that it is transcribed in all caps in the original edition. John Irving's best novel (which is saying quite a bit). I still talk about this book to friends a decade after I have read it. If you don't buy it here, find at the library. Well worth the investment.