A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've read John Irving's "World According to Garp" and enjoyed the book(and movie) very much (probably due for a reread of it) so I thought I'd give Owen Meany a chance. Its reviews or commentary on the book is overwhelmingly positive so that clinched it. The only thing that concerned me was by reading some comments and even review blurbs on the book itself one might expect a calling from God himself or have some sort of epiphany or conversion. For better or worse it did not happen in my experience although the book is enjoyable and heartwarming. The ending though seemed a bit anticlimactic because I expected it all along. Although it may seem a bit heavy-handed in its religious tone at times it is more what I call old-school religion versus in-your-face evangelical style Christianity. I'm on the cynical side about that stuff but won't knock someone else's belief.

It's a charming story set in a charming New Hampshire town and a batch of eccentric personalities(this seems to a thing with Irving as "World According to Garp" has a similar setting and quirky characters). It also has a heavy-handed outlook about the Vietnam War and Reagan era politics that might be off-putting to some. It is also on the long side that may seem tedious at first but it does find its pace the further along it goes. Its length and tediousness made it tempting to put the book away but yet it was still interesting enough to keep me coming back for more.

It was a decent book but I think I expected too much. Perhaps I had read too many others having their own epiphany type of experiences or falling in love with Owen. This was not my experience. Owen was intelligent, thoughtful, and outspoken despite his broken voice. The religious theme might be heavy for some but the story was more about having faith than being preachy. The book is an enjoyable escape for a while into the world according to Owen Meany.

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