John Irving’s work is always thematic and often moralistic. Such is the case with A Prayer For Owen Meany, which embraces the concepts of friendship, religion, and social justice as momentous elements of the personal life of each character. The reader, in turn, is guided to grab those same elements to enrich his own life.
Written as a memoir of Owen’s lifelong friend, Johnny Wheelwright, this book tells the story of the energy that Owen imparted to Johnny. The impact is summed up in a long and rambling first sentence that includes the fragment “because he [Owen] is the reason I believe in God.”
The main story covers the youth and young adulthood of Owen and Johnny and in that time and place brings in the Viet Nam war. Since Johnny is writing this memoir in 1987, he often sidelines the story to discuss the American political issues of the day, although he has long ago moved to Toronto. This popping the present into a narrative of the past can sometimes be disruptive, although Irving has a moral tie-in bubbling beneath the surface whenever he does it.
Of course both the memoir time frame and the “present” sidelines are all ancient history to the modern reader.
Throughout the book all of Owen's dialogue is in capital letters and that might trip up first time readers. The computer generation would naturally take this as shouting, but it actually represents the distinctiveness of Owen’s voice.
For more Forgotten Friday Books, please visit Patti Abbott, keeper of the list.
Friday, November 27, 2009
FBF: A Prayer For Owen Meany
Terrie
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11 comments:
Thanks for the background and review of A Prayer for Owen Meany. John Irving was the keynote speaker at the AWP conference in NYC in Jan '08, and I was so impressed. He says he ALWAYS has the ending in mind when he starts writing. He practically writes the last sentence, and works towards it.
Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving, Terrie!
I've never read this book, though I've liked much of Irving's work. Maybe I will have to give it a shot.
Kathy,
I had read that Irving always has his ending in mind and works toward it. That's an interesting way to write. I tend to think I know the ending and sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't.
Laura,
I am not a huge Irving fan, but I think A Prayer is very representative of what he tries to achieve.
Terrie
I haven't read this one but I enjoyed The Hotel New Hampshire.
Nice review. I've forgotten John Irving altogether. Thanks for the reminder.
Hi David,
I recall enjoying New hampshire as well. Didn't like Garp, tho'.
Hi Evan,
Glad to be of help.
Terrie
I have had mixed responses to Irving's novels. I liked GARP well enough, CIDER HOUSE wasn't a favorite, and I liked SETTING FREE THE BEARS quite a lot. I've always believed with Irving, the reader's age, situation and state of mind have a lot to do with liking - or not - his books. Iguess maybe BEARS just struck a chord with me.
OWEN MEANY was one I started and didn't finish. Truth is, I was just bored. At about page 100 I found myself wondering why I was reading the book when there were so many more interesting ones on the shelf. So I put it aside and never got back to it. I think I may have donated it to the library a few years back.
A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY was made into a movie called SIMON BIRCH. The book is better, but the movie is much shorter. My main quibble with most of John Irving's work is that the books would be better if they were a 100 pages shorter.
Thanks for your thoughts, Richard and George.
I have to agree that some of Irivng's work could be shorter.
Terrie
Thanks for the review, dfTerrie! I know I have read some of John Irving's work, but none of the titles come to mind right now (does that mean I'm old? Or just wasn't impressed?).
df Bag Lady,
You certainly are not old!! Perhaps you were just not that interested in Irving's work, or perhaps, like me, you are not retentive when it comes to authors and titles.
Terrie
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