A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving (1990)
Ginger gave me this book, a tattered and much loved paperback, and one of her all-time favorites. What a story! Hard to put my reactions into words. The character of little and wise OWEN MEANY, as viewed by his best friend Johnny Wheelwright, was just remarkable. It took me forever (almost a month!) to read. It wasn't a "stay up all night" kind of book, and not easy to read; though it was intriguing and compelling and very unique. Lots of profound political/Vietnam war and religion commentary. A one of a kind book I'd say and very thought provoking. Lots of memorable, quotable lines. Here's a site of quotes from the book (and some other John Irving books).
Here's a link to very thorough wikipedia review including references to related movies (Simon Birch) and other pop culture uses (Laker coach Phil Jackson made it required reading for his players). It starts with this:
A Prayer for Owen Meany is a novel by American writer John Irving, first published in 1989. It tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New England town during the 1950-60s. Owen is a remarkable boy in many ways; he believes himself to be God's instrument and journeys on a truly extraordinary path.
And from another book blog: (a good resource!)
The main character, Owen Meany, is unforgettable. Everything about Owen grabs your attention: his size, HIS VOICE, his determination, his faith, his life and his death. Owen's best friend, the narrator, plays a supporting role in the story and, even though he seems bland, he is very necessary to the story and to Owen's life and heroism.
