The writing is beautiful, and it is a good story.

When Owen plays the Baby Jesus in the Christmas Pageant.

I thought he did a good job with the voices. It was easy to tell when the speaker changed and I was listening to a new character.

Oh definitely Owen Meany. He was a complex character with lots of personality.

My mother in law was the first person to suggest I read this book. She asked me every time I saw her if I had read it yet. Sadly, I lost the book at some point in time, and didn't get around to trying it again until after her death. I can now see why she enjoyed it so much, and I wish she were alive today so that I could discuss the story with her. I'm very curious what she found compelling about it. John Irving is a great writer. I've read most everything that he's written, and his writing never becomes formulaic. Enjoyed this book very much.

This is a special book. There are so many different issues raised, so many different people portrayed, so many points of view shown ... it's about two boys but it's beyond that .. it's about faith and love, religion, war, national pride, changing times, literacy. Throughout the book we know that Owen has died .. but that didn't stop the tear when it happens ..This book will haunt me!

John Irving at his best. The story is gripping, the prose flawless, and the narration by John Irving wonderfully completes it.

Owen Meany -- his personality, his secrets, his spirituality.

I have read (or listened to) all of John Irving's novels. This is one of his best.

I read A Prayer for Owen Meany in book form years ago and it has ever since been one of my favorites. This audible version is fabulous! Joe Barrett does a wonderful job of making Owen a little more than annoying, which is the point. The story itself, I still just love. Two boyhood friends growing up together, an accidental death of one's mother by the other, and the relationships in their lives. The ending is not what you expect, Owen dies as a result of the Vietnam war, but not in it. All of the events that lead to that point are what make this a little spiritual and a little political, and how Owen develops his viewpoint is unique and entertaining. A wonderful tale that I highly recommend.

Left me crying.

How involved Irving got the reader with this cast of characters.

Oh so many but I would have to pick Paul Owen Meany.

I think John would be my dinner pick because I would like to know more about his emotional relationship with Owen, and I think we could talk for hours about his life in New England and Canada.

You know, when you're reading a book and you know what's going to happen and you know it's going to hurt but you just can't quite reading and can't seem to turn the pages fast enough...well that is exactly what happens with a Prayer for Owen Meany. John Irving's writing and Joe Barrett's narration were great. This was an unexpected pleasure!

Probably Irving's best work. I've read this book a few times and was concerned that Owen's voice would not work as a audiobook but man was I worried for nothing. The narrator does a brilliant job of bringing this book and especially Owen to life. Great story, beautifully written with a depth and a real search for truth in the characters that makes this well worth the time invested.

A Prayer For Owen Meany is both one of my favorite books, and one of my favorite audio books. It's the kind of book that reminds me why I read fiction, why I love stories. I think it's Irving's best book. Hilarious, sad, and very human. If you love good stories, you'll love this one. Barrett is an excellent narrator, and (as I believe) a quality book in the hands of a quality narrator becomes even better.

Powerful, redemptive, darkly funny

Owen's dual performances as The Prince of Peace and The Ghost of Christmas Future stand out as one of the most ingenious, hilarious, memorable,and celebratory literary experiences I have ever had. The narrator is masterful at conveying all of Irving's dark irony.

This book is an example of one of Audible's main benefits for me: allowing or "forcing" me to read fine, powerful books that, for one reason or the other, I never got around to reading. (Other examples include "The Poisonwood Bible" and "The Kiterunner.") It was obvious from the opening paragraphs that I was going to enjoy this reading of an American masterpiece.

Listening to this book is like taking a leisurely boat trip down a beautiful stream. You never want it to end so you don't pick up the oars. Some may think it is too slow, but who cares how long it takes when it is so gorgeous.

The naration of this book is perfect. I have even told friends who would prefer to read the book, that they must listen to a snipet of the audio version first so that they can know Owen's voice!

This isn't a book that you can listen to in one sitting because of its length, and it does at times feel long and drawn out, so you will probably appreciate a break. However, you must come back for more!!

I sometimes wondered why the story was so long and where it was going - basically I felt occassionlly impatient, but that said, I was completely drawn into Owen Meanys world. If Owen wasn't the main charater in a chapter I couldn't wait for him to reappear. It has been months now since I have heard this book but I can remember all the characters as if they were real people and I still feel a little heart broken whenever I think about this book - in a good way! Why it touched me so much I have not been able to fathom!!!