A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (Fiction)

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving tells the story of Johnny Wheelwright, the narrator, and his friend, Owen Meany, growing up together in the fictional town of Gravesend, New Hampshire in the 1950s and 1960s. While Johnny Wheelwright is the narrator, it’s really Owen Meany who is the hero of the story. Like The Great Gatsby, the narrator talks about his friend and the actions which caused the narrator to get acquainted with him, and the things that happen over the course of some period of time. Owen Meany is extremely short, being only 5 feet tall and weighing less than a hundred pounds by the time both him and Johnny are adults. In addition, due to a fused, undeveloped larynx, his voice is high pitched and screechy, as if the rock dust from his father’s granite quarry business got stuck in his throat, and evidenced by his speech being written like this: “MADE FOR TELEVISION!” Despite this, however, he’s extremely intelligent, becoming the valedictorian of his high school (until he was thrown out just prior to his graduation, anyway), and issues candid remarks throughout Johnny’s life that help Johnny see the world in a different way. Oh, and Owen also believes he’s “GOD’S INSTRUMENT” after an incident involving a baseball and the death of Johnny’s mother when they are both 10 years old.

A Prayer for Owen Meany is undoubtedly an excellent book. It features a thorough, well-done, and realistic plot. An interesting thing to note is that everything that Owen does or makes Johnny do has an ultimate purpose, though you don’t realize it until well into the book. As you read the book, it drops “puzzle pieces,” which are then reassembled at the end. It is this which makes the book a great read. What’s also quite unique about this book is that it’s simultaneously narrated from two points in time: the present day (1987) and the past (1950s-60s). Enough from me—go read it!

Reviewed by Nitin S., Grade 12