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Product Details

Sample
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Unabridged
Narrated by
Regular Price:
$34.95
Special Offer Price: $7.49

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Program Type
Audiobook (Fiction)
Publisher
Length
26 hrs and 57 mins
Audible Release Date
08-12-09
Audio Formats About Formats
2 3 4
Customer Rating

4.53 based on 106 ratings
 

Publisher's Summary

Of all of John Irving's books, this is the one that lends itself best to audio. In print, Owen Meany's dialogue is set in capital letters; for this production, Irving himself selected Joe Barrett to deliver Meany's difficult voice as intended.

In the summer of 1953, two 11-year-old boys — best friends — are playing in a Little League baseball game in Gravesend, New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills the other boy's mother. The boy who hits the ball doesn't believe in accidents; Owen Meany believes he is God's instrument. What happens to Owen after that 1953 foul ball is extraordinary and terrifying.

As an added bonus, when you purchase our Audible Modern Vanguard production of John Irving's book, you'll also get the exclusive Jim Atlas interview below added to your library.

This production is part of our Audible Modern Vanguard line, a collection of important works from groundbreaking authors.

©1989 Garp Enterprises Ltd; (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

What the Critics Say

"Roomy, intelligent, exhilarating, and darkly comic...Dickensian in scope....Quite stunning and very ambitious." (Los Angeles Times Book Review)
"John Irving is an abundantly and even joyfully talented storyteller." (The New York Times Book Review)

Exclusive Interview
James Atlas with John Irving

Customer Reviews

Showing: 1-5 of 22
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Rating 5.0Rating 5.0Rating 5.0Rating 5.0Rating 5.0 "Enchanting"
By: Josh (Santa Rosa, CA, USA)
November 18, 2009
I love this reading of A Prayer for Owen Meany. The narration is excellent and it brings the book to life again for me. I struggle a little bit with Owen's voice, but then I suppose that any voice would seem insufficient given expectations. This is Irving at his best.
Rating 5.0Rating 5.0Rating 5.0Rating 5.0Rating 5.0 "Great listen"
By: Robert (USA)
November 12, 2009
The reader for this book is truly excellent, and the sound quality of the recording is also very good.

It's hard to judge whether any person will enjoy a novel or not as tastes differ so much. I do enjoy Irving, and this rendition of his book was as close to perfect as it gets.
Rating 4.0Rating 4.0Rating 4.0Rating 4.0Rating 4.0 "Audio version did not disappoint"
By: Kate (Dartmouth, MA, USA)
October 30, 2009
I am a huge John Irving fan and have read this book multiple (at least a dozen) times. It is my very favorite of his. So, I was extremely hesitant to buy the audio version because I was worried that the reader would not do justice to Owen's voice - in my own mind I always thought Jeff Woodman would be a great reader for this one. However, I am pleased to say that I have enjoyed listening to this tremendously. This reader does a great job of bringing out not only Owen's voice but John Irving's too. John Irving is not for everyone but if you are an Irving fan, or, if you love good writing, try this book. It is one of a kind.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful:
Rating 5.0Rating 5.0Rating 5.0Rating 5.0Rating 5.0 "Thanks for the reviews"
By: Frank (USA)
October 11, 2009
As a reader of primarily thriller/mystery, I was hesitant to download this book. However, due to the extremely high rating given by the reviewers, I decided to risk it. What a wonderful book. It has expanded what I will look for in a book. Thanks again to all of the reviewers.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful:
Rating 5.0Rating 5.0Rating 5.0Rating 5.0Rating 5.0 "Incredible narration"
By: Laurie (East Millstone, NJ, USA)
October 09, 2009
I have a feeling I wouldn't have made it all the way through the print version of this book, but listening to Joe Barrett read it was a wonderful experience and I was completely captivated from start to finish. There is not a whole lot of plot to the novel, but the many characters are exquisitely drawn and each is depicted so beautifully by the narrator. Owen Meany is a memorable character and his "voice" is fabulous.
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