A Prayer for Owen Meany

By: John Irving

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

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 an exclusive Jim Atlas interview that begins when the audiobook ends.

Why we think it's a great listen: For 20 years, John Irving believed that his ambitious novel could never be adequately executed in audio – and then he met narrator Joe Barrett.... 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.

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.

Critic reviews

"This moving book comes across like a concerto in this audio version, with a soloist—Owen's voice—rising from the background of an orchestral narration. This book, one of the finest of its time, gets the narration that it deserves." ( AudioFile)

“John Irving, who writes novels in the unglamorous but effective way Babe Ruth used to hit home runs, deserves a medal not only for writing this book but for the way he has written it. . . . A Prayer for Owen Meany is a rare creation in the somehow exhausted world of late twentieth-century fiction—it is an amazingly brave piece of work . . . so extraordinary, so original, and so enriching. . . . Readers will come to the end feeling sorry to leave [this] richly textured and carefully wrought world.” (Stephen King)

"Roomy, intelligent, exhilarating, and darkly comic...Dickensian in scope....Quite stunning and very ambitious." ( Los Angeles Times Book Review)

Favorite book of all time.

John Irving is not for everyone, and if you have not listened to one of books choose this one. If not this one, then Cider House Rules. I have over 500 books in my Audible library and this by far is my favorite. John Irving books are by no means" thrillers", but the characters he creates are memorable, especially Owen Meany. Sad, funny, poignant this book should be on everyone's list of great American fiction. Told during the turbulent 60s the book is set in a small town in NH and follows the life of the main character (narrator) and Owen Meany, who is deformed in body but not in spirit . The ending will bring tears to your eyes:


And they were also lifting up Owen Meany, taking him out of our hands. O God -- please give him back! I shall keep asking You."

EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT!!

I really enjoyed this book, keeps reader interested and waiting for the next part. Highly recommend!

I walked miles listening!

Where does A Prayer for Owen Meany rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I read Owen Meany when it was first published - and enjoyed listening even more than reading. I found the voice a bit off-putting, at first, but soon realized that it was perfect for Owen and great for the book. As with most great readers, I soon stopped hearing the voice while listening to the story.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters, the quikiness of the plot, as well as the interesting view of a period in US history.

Have you listened to any of Joe Barrett’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't think I have listened to this reader before - but, certainly will again.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The story of a little guy with a big mission.

Any additional comments?

A great read, and a great listen!

Brilliant Characters, Story and Narration

What a pleasure it was to listen to Joe Barrett's vocal interpretations of the characters in Irvings wonderful book. I enjoyed the story line and all the characters developed character over time which of course is the essence of a good novel. I miss them all.

Highly Recommended!

Great book, Great Narrator

I have liked other of Irving's books, but this is my favorite. It is a strange, non-linear, look at fate and faith which I found compelling, funny, and touching. The characterizations are wonderful, the story engaging (although odd), and the writing excellent. Although not quite magical realism, there is a lot of magic here. I laughed many, many, times and was always quite into the narrative, not wanting to stop listening.

The narration is perfect. This version in audio is better than reading the book as the voice of Owen is perfect.

This is a bit long for even a long drive, but this is the kind of book I would enjoy listening to with my family.

Can't Beat the Narration!

I absolutely loved this book. Being a conservative, there were things in the book that I had to look past. However, it wasn't too heavy on ideology. The story was very interesting, and I loved how certain big questions were revealed towards the end. Ultimately, I would give Barrett six (6) stars out of 5 for his performance. I always looked forward to hearing Owen Meany's "voice" as Barrett portrayed him superbly.

compelling story with fantastic narration

this is a stunner of a story. based on the description I might not have selected it, but the writing is so solid and the characters so real and true that I'm glad I did. the narrator is superb! this is one of those special books that goes back into the read pile. loved it.

Stays with you long after finishing

I am so glad I purchased this audible book, it would be difficult to get the full grasp of Owen Meany without the voice of Joe Barnett. The twists and turns of the story held my interest, and the writing was just outstanding. At one point I was laughing so hard, tears were rolling down my cheeks. That has never happened when reading a book before. I can still hear Owen's voice shouting some 'truism'. Will re-listen down the road.

Moving and Meaningful

I'm so touched and moved by A Prayer for Owen Meany - the intricacy of the story and the very real characters...just wonderful. One of my favorites now.

Typical John Irving

In reviewing other Irving books some listeners stated that they weren't as good as A Prayer for Owen Meany, so I was looking forward to finally getting around to it. Although enjoyable, APFOM was probably my least favorite. If you've never read/listened to an Irving book before, I'd suggest Until I Find You. If you like it, consider yourself lucky - you've got a lot great Irving books awaiting.