A Prayer for Owen Meany

By: John Irving

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Length: 27 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

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)

One of the best books ever written!

You will laugh, you will cry, and you will not be able to stop reading/(listening.)

I believe

If you could sum up A Prayer for Owen Meany in three words, what would they be?

Exhilarating, encompassing, emotional

What other book might you compare A Prayer for Owen Meany to and why?

2 books actually - It has the breadth and characterisations also found in John Irving's 'World According to Garp'; similar off-beat, although believable people walk through both books.And it calls back to, unsurprisingly, to Gunter Grass' 'The Tin Drum', although it is much more positive and hopeful than Grass's book. The significance of being so much smaller than everyone else around him, lets Oskar, like Owen, see the world so differently.

Which character – as performed by Joe Barrett – was your favorite?

Joe Bennett absolutely enlivens Owen Meany. His performance of The Voice was astounding.

If you could take any character from A Prayer for Owen Meany out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I would really like to meet John Wainwright's mother, Tabitha. There is something hidden about her, but I loved her sense of openness (other than telling who John''s father was) and she seemed to like herself. Certainly she loved her son, and that appealed to me.

Any additional comments?

Grandmother Wainwright is possibly a model for me to consider as I age - her stubbornness and determination to do just exactly as she wanted to do. But she also seemed to me to be very accepting of difference in others - she may neither like nor approve of their behaviour, but I didn't think she ever rejected anyone.

Irving is the Master of Foreshadow

While long and at times seemingly ponderous this book is a gem. Knowing what is going to inevitably happen doesn't dull the emotional impact of the final details. Satisfying and immensely thought provoking, I highly recommend A Prayer for Owen Meany, and the interview with John Irving at the conclusion is a nice addition.

I'll never read this book too many times

Every so many years, I reread this wonderful novel. I am newly surprised by it every time. He does write like Dickens in that nothing is superfluous. Don't try to skip over anything. Try to find someone who's also read it, because you'll need to talk about it.

Listening to this one

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

One of the very best.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Prayer for Owen Meany?

When he was the baby of Jesus.

What does Joe Barrett bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Have not read the book.

If you could take any character from A Prayer for Owen Meany out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Owen Meany. Like his character and personality.

I absolutely love this book!

What made the experience of listening to A Prayer for Owen Meany the most enjoyable?

The story kept my attention the entire time & the narrator, Joe Barrett, did such an incredible job! Each of the characters had their own distinct voice which made them seem so real. Above all, Owen Meany's voice was my favorite! I'm sure I'll listen to this book again. I'd love to see it made into a movie!

What other book might you compare A Prayer for Owen Meany to and why?

To Kill a Mockingbird - I read it as a teenager in the 60's and never forgot how it touched me, & still does. This book has done the same!

Which scene was your favorite?

there were too many to pick just one

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I enjoyed listening for a few hours each day...... I didn't want it to end

Any additional comments?

A Prayer for Owen Meany is one of my top 5 most loved books of all time!

Best Character Development In a First Person Narrative

The time John Irving takes to develop his characters shows that he is well read in history, politics, literature, psychology, and religion. It's a lengthy story, but the small details throughout the book culminate meaningfully at the end. By the time I finished the book, I felt the loss of dear Owen Meany praying with Johnny that God would bring him back.

A complicated, beautiful story.

What did you love best about A Prayer for Owen Meany?

John Irving weaves a series of complex issues into a captivating book. As the story unravels all of the elements come together to a final climax. There are so many leading events that keep you fully engaged in the story until the very end.

Who was your favorite character and why?

John Wheelwright, Owen Meany's best friend, is my favorite character. This character does a wonderful job of explaining Owen's beliefs and behaviors and relating them to how they are perceived by the other characters in the book. I also love the way John questions his own beliefs in light of Owen Meany's truths.

Which character – as performed by Joe Barrett – was your favorite?

I enjoyed John Wheelwright the most. While Owen Meany's character is captivating, I found his voice to be irritating at times, especially in the beginning. In hindsight, when you learn the truth behind his strange voice, you can better appreciate its purpose.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could never listen to this book in one sitting because it is quite long and it benefits from taking a break every now and again to reflect on the story as it unfolds. However, as soon as I had finished it, I started re-listening from the beginning to revisit all of the subtle nuances within the story that build toward the wonderfully satisfying ending.

Any additional comments?

Having read so many books it is often difficult to find one that is not formulaic. John Irving has done a wonderful job of writing a remarkable story that also delivers many non-traditional observations on some very sensitive issues. I loved this book and can hardly wait to read another of John Irving's literary works.

Fantastic

Would you listen to A Prayer for Owen Meany again? Why?

In general I really enjoy John Irving and the story, character development, the writing and the performance of Joe Barrett are a perfect mix. I listen in the car and never wanted to leave the bubble. I miss Owen Meany.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I cried often while listening to this book; not necessarily from it being sad but from the beautiful descriptions of the characters and their psychology. Irving has a great way of making you feel what his characters feel without having to label them.

Come back to us, Owen!

A great first-person narrative story, brilliantly performed by Joe Barrett, who has become my favorite narrator.