John Irving - "A Prayer for Owen Meanie"

[AnnaRHR]

John Irving - "A Prayer for Owen Meanie"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...7056197-7568055
1990, 4.5 stars, 640 pages

This was one of the books suggested for the Book Club, so I thought I would make a thread so people could discuss it, since there seems to be interest...

[fluff]

This is my favourite book ever.

I must have read it half a dozen times at least and I cry every time.

[oneTVslave]

I love this book as well. Read the last bit of the book with my mouth literally hanging open...and tears streaming down my face, of course.

(By the way, is there anyway to change the name of this thread? I believe the spelling is "Meany", not "Meanie"....sorry to be so anal)

[AnnaRHR]

I'm equally anal, TV slave - I've never read the book and that's the spelling I was given in the book club thread, which is why it is misspelled - my apologies...

[oneTVslave]

No problem, Anna!

[fluff]

Originally posted by oneTVslave
I love this book as well. Read the last bit of the book with my mouth literally hanging open...and tears streaming down my face, of course.

Yep, this book'll get yah every time.

[Bill]

This is also my favorite book, and has been for years.

Irving's A Widow for One Year is pretty close to as good too.

[oneTVslave]

I really like John Irving; will have to read A Widow for One Year...
The first Irving book I read was the Cider House Rules (before the movie came out). I thought it was spectacular and one of the best books I had read in years. I have heard the World According to Garp is a good one too. Ran out and bought the Fourth Hand when it came out - thought it was okay, but not up to typical John Irving calibre and depth by any means.

[YCan'tAngieRead]

Irving's work has taken an odd turn in recent years. I used to LOVE him...would always run out and buy his books on the day they came out, even when I didn't have the money. But the last one I finished was Son Of The Circus.

But his earlier works, like Owen Meany, are GENIUS. And you're right, this is one of the best books I've ever read, and I've also read it multiple times. I recommend it to everyone...and any time I'm spiritually feeling down, I pick it back up again...

[Bill]

Son of the Circus was just horrible really. Irving takes longer than most to get into his stories, but gosh, that book was an endless buildup to nothing.

Widow for One Year though is classic Irving in my opinion.