• A Prayer for Owen Meany

  • By: John Irving
  • Narrated by: Joe Barrett
  • Length: 27 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (10,668 ratings)

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A Prayer for Owen Meany  By  cover art

A Prayer for Owen Meany

By: John Irving
Narrated by: Joe Barrett
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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)

Editor's Pick

They said it couldn’t be done in audio. Wrong!
"I read A Prayer for Owen Meany when it published in 1989. For (almost) my entire career in audio, I couldn’t recommend a performance of the audiobook; other publishers thought the distinctive VOICE of Owen Meany to be impossible to render in our format. Joe Barrett proves them wrong. I highly (and at long last) recommend Joe Barrett’s narration of the humor and heartbreak in this epic coming-of-age story."
Christina H., Audible Editor

What listeners say about A Prayer for Owen Meany

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Narrator Joe Barrett defines the 5-star rating

I've rated other great narrators 5 stars (George Guidell, Scott Brick, Bronson Pinchot and several others). All were wonderful, and all were rated before I listened to A Prayer for Owen Meany, narrated by Joe Barrett. Had I listened to this book first, those other great narrators would have received 4 stars. I understand that other reviewers found 'the voice' to be irritating. I did not. The combination of John Irving and Joe Barrett simultaneously breaks your heart and compels you to keep listening. I wouldn't even know where to start to describe this story. It is about miracles, cynicism, death, love, friendship. I loved The Voice. Take the chance and listen to this book. If you don't like it, Audible will refund your point. As Owen Meany said "Don't be afraid!"

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A MASTERPIECE!

Would you consider the audio edition of A Prayer for Owen Meany to be better than the print version?

The narrator Joe Barrett is exceptional. His tone and pacing are unforgettable. And of course there is the voice of OWEN. SPOT ON!

Who was your favorite character and why?

There are several memorable characters, but make no mistake, this book is all Owen Meany.

Which scene was your favorite?

The payoff ending is my favorite scene, but the revelation about the Rev./Mr. Merrill is right there.

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

Not at all. This is a book that I wanted to savior a little each day.

Any additional comments?

My review is very biased. John Irving is my favorite writer and the reason I started to read books 35 years ago. The World According To Garp was my first John Irving novel and made me a reader ever since. I had never read anything like that before. I was amazed. A Prayer for Owen Meany is just as good.

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FANTASTIC

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

Inspiring, humbling, entertaining

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

Owen for sure followed a very close second by Granny - "merciful heavens" has become a standard quote in my house!

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

Owen himself - although all the characters were rich and entertaining Owen just had this amazing magnatism which I believe will remain with me for a long time.

Any additional comments?

I will definately relisten to this without a doubt.

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Mesmerizing story, fantastic narration!

I loved this story and feel that the narrator greatly enhanced the experience! Highly recommend!

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ANOTHER STARTLING TALE FROM JOHN IRVING

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

Only John Irving could write about northern New England and the eccentric characters who live there. A Prayer for Owen Meany is a combination of odd characters, religion and strong anti-war sentiments. Owen Meany with his diminutive size demonstrates the senseless waste of human life that is brought about by war.

What did you like best about this story?

Owen Meany. He was the most unusual character I've ever encountered.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene with Owen Meany as the baby Jesus in the Christmas pageant. That was priceless.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Owen Meany giving his prized baseball card collection away.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

ABSOLUTE IRVING

What a wonderful audiobook experience. A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY is one of my favorite listens and I recommend it highly for anyone who prizes the unique marriage of fine writing and superb narration. John Irving is one of my favorite American novelists. In A PRAYER FOR OWN MEANY he focuses the sum of his many literary talents through this one unforgettable story. Irving is truly a masterful storyteller. He captures the reader/listener's attention from the very beginning with humor, wonderfully-crafted characters, honest human longing and a writer's compassion for the inner oddball that each of us carries through our own waking worlds. Likewise, Joe Barrett narrates A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY with his own compliment of artistry and empathy. He is perhaps the one reader in this business with the skill and sensitivity to create the requirement of Owen Meany's legendary annoying voice in a manner that in no way loses the spot-on wisdom of Owen's words. If you want to experience a really fine American novel by one of our best writers and audiobook artsts, A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY is the ideal choice.

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Owen Meanie Enjoyable to the Last Word.

Totally enjoyable book. Every chapter better than the last. Delightful in its revelation. Narration was perfect.

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The best

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

Every thing

What about Joe Barrett’s performance did you like?

This is the best narration I have ever heard in 4 years of listening to recorded books.

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Better than reading the book itself

Amazing narration, especially Owen's voice is stellar! Even if you've already read the book before, worth listening for this spectacular voice acting alone

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A place in time

John Irving's story takes me back to my first recollections of the sixties. THe narrator nails focalization a for each character, making this one a piece of theatre. The story is engrossing and the presentation entertaining.

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