John Irving - Prayer for Owen Meany, A - 8

[SlowRain]

Prayer for Owen Meany, A



This is the first book that I have read by John Irving, and it definitely won't be my last. The story is a coming of age tale told by Johnny Wheelwright about his life and the life of his best friend Owen Meany, an unusually small boy with a warped voice. It starts from when they were 11 years old and carries on until they are in their mid-20's.

This is not your typical novel, one that starts with an issue and carries that issue through until completion. Rather, it is a collection of, what seem like, random incidents in these two boys' lives. It is definitely character building at its finest, but sometimes at the expense of forward movement in the story. However, for those who are patient, the ending is one of the greatest examples of "tying things together" that I have ever seen. Even if there is something you don't fully understand, or even agree with, all will be explained in the end.

The novel is obviously about friendship, but also delves deeply into faith/doubt and destiny, as well as America's involvement in Vietnam, the peace movement, and even American Foreign Policy in the late 80's (when the book was written).

I found it to be slow at first, and the jumping between present day and the past may take a bit to get used to. If I remember correctly, the flashbacks in the beginning aren't even linear. But all of that is handled skillfully by the author, whose extensive narrative is nothing short of spectacular. He takes the time to tell us what is going on, and gives us a detailed analysis of everything. However, the last 200 pages really gripped me and I devoured it quite quickly.

There wasn't much to take away from my enjoyment of the book. I felt it was too long, considering how slowly the beginning progresses compared to how quickly the ending pulls you. In fact, if the boys hadn't been getting older, there would have been little to advance the story in the early chapters. I also disagree with the author's view of modern day miracles, and to anyone, such as Owen, being qualified for such lofty praise. However, taken as a fictional story, it shouldn't be too much trouble for anyone's belief system.

I wouldn't recommend this book to just anyone. It is certainly for someone who reads at a higher level than average. It's more for someone who is patient and loves long, flowery narratives. It's definitely not a thriller or an adventure novel, and probably won't be appreciated by those who only read such novels. It requires an open mind and a love of the written language... and a lot of time.



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[Blair]

I was going to write a review, but you've done a fine job. As in Garp, Irving has once again created terrific characters while running with it an interesting socio-political commentary. The dominant theme, in my mind though, was one you mentioned... Faith/ Religion.

Terrific novel.

Nice Review.

[nzilla]

I'd always wondered how much Irving actually wants us to take the whole faith theme in this book. First of all, if taken at face value, the idea that one should be a Christian because of Owen's apparent divinity is rather unconvincing. "Alright, I'm going to prove that miracles happen in the real world, just like in books. How am I going to do that? Well, I'm going to write this book, see, and at the end there's going to be a miracle."

Second, even within the book, faith isn't entirely portrayed in a good light. Owen, and, from what I've heard said by Irving, the author himself, is very critical of Catholicism. Also, the narrator is shown to be slightly zealous as an adult, and this is commented on by one of his adult friends.

Third, outside of this particular novel Irving doesn't come across as very faithful at all. It could be argued that his usual risqué subject matter is perfectly consonant with a very liberal form of faith, but if you examine at least one other of his novels, A Son of the Circus, you'll find themes openly hostile to faith. In that novel, the protagonist, an Indian who's part of an ethnic minority that is usually Zoroastrian though his father was an atheist, is a devout Christian because of an incident that he believes to be a miracle.

Spoiler: show

One day when he was sleeping he was bitten on the toe, seemingly as a form of stigmata relating to a saint whose toe was bitten off postmortem. In reality, the one who bit his toe was a psychotic serial killer, the antagonist of the novel.

Additionally, there are many characters, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu, who harm themselves to some extent, sometimes to the point of radical mutilation, because of their faith. Irving is also quoted as having said, "Now, if you push me to the wall, I'd say I'm not a believer. But it depends on the day you ask. . . I'm not comfortable calling myself a believer, a Christian. But if somebody says, 'are you an atheist?' I'd back down from that question too."

[SlowRain]

I think the novel presents a fine balance between faith and doubt. It's clear that the author has doubts about predestination, as seen in how he presented its effects on Owen's life as he gets older and resigns himself to his destiny. He has doubts about the events surrounding Jesus' conception, as well as the conduct of professed Christians. He questions how anyone could have faith in God based on the actions of a man (ie. Owen in the novel, but he really means Jesus). However, after finishing the novel, I was still convinced that Irving's belief in God was stronger than his doubts of some doctrines taught by some Christian denominations. I think it was his sensitive portrayal of both Owen and Johnny which ultimately convinced me he wasn't totally faithless.

I agree that Irving's religious beliefs are quite liberal: the Pro-choice theme in The Cider House Rules was equally heavy-handed to his views on American foreign policy found in A Prayer for Owen Meany.

For those interested, Graham Greene, a Catholic, had many themes of faith/doubt in his novels, and, while the faith tended to outweigh the doubt, he, like Irving, treated the subject matter fairly. I highly recommend reading The End of the Affair.

[Blair]

I'm not sure how much we can extrapolate from the novel what does or doesn't reflect Irving's beliefs. It is, after all, a work of fiction, not an autobiography.

[SlowRain]

I'm not so sure about that, as most authors, whether consciously or unconsciously, put a little of themselves and their beliefs into their novels. This mainly happens because a novel is a collection of thoughts and events based on how the writers have seen the world; it's the sum total of their experiences. I come from an agricultural background–my father is a farmer–so I'm more likely to speak well of farmers and be sympathetic to their struggles, where someone from an urban background in a large, cosmopolitan center may view them as dirty people who always complain about one thing or another–or, more likely, they won’t even know anything about farmers. Our speech, even when not directly commenting on our views, will have either a favorable or unfavorable connotation when mentioning the subject. Our opinions are formed by our experiences and are reflected in the ways in which we communicate, and I don't think it's any different for novelists, no matter how hard they try to avoid bias.

[amy112]

I give A Prayer For Owen Meany a solid 10. I've read it many times, and it is great. I also would give a 9 or 10 to Cider House Rules and A Son of the Circus.
But some of his work, both early and later, doesn't hold up over time. And his repetitive themes (loss of limbs, airplane/car crashes, bears, Viennese whores, wrestling, etc.) can be annoying. I wish I'd never seen Irving interviewed, because he comes across as a pompous ass, and I can't help but remember that when I read his work.
(And most would consider me very liberal, politically, so it's not an aversion to his beliefs)