“When someone you love dies, and you're not expecting it, you don't lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces over a long time—the way the mail stops coming, and her scent fades from the pillows and even from the clothes in her closet and drawers. Gradually, you accumulate the parts of her that are gone. Just when the day comes—when there's a particular missing part that overwhelms you with the feeling that she's gone, forever—there comes another day, and another specifically missing part.”
A Prayer for Owen Meany is a novel that tells the story of John Wheelwright and his friend Owen Meany. Owen, who believes he is an instrument of God, accidentally kills John's mother with a baseball, setting off a chain of events, ultimately revealing Owen's true purpose and leaving a profound impact on John's life.
The remarkable friendship between John and Owen is a central aspect in this novel. Their bond, forged in childhood, is the foundation of the narrative. John, the narrator, provides an intimate and introspective perspective as he recounts their shared experiences, trials, and triumphs. Owen, with his unforgettable voice and very distinct personality, serves as the novel's enigmatic centerpiece. His unwavering faith and belief in a predetermined destiny make him an intriguing and complex character.
Irving was able to explore many themes in this novel. He delves deeply into the themes of faith and religion, examining the significance of belief and its impact on the characters' lives. Owen, in particular, embodies relentless faith and serves as a symbol of religious conviction.
Owen's distinctive voice also plays an integral role in the narrative. The novel emphasizes the power of words and their ability to shape and define our lives.
I thought that Irving tackled social and political issues in an interesting way. Since a lot of this novel is set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, Irving critiques the American society and government as he addresses themes of social injustice, political accountability, and the consequences of war.
The novel highlights the profound bond of friendship between John and Owen. Their unwavering loyalty to one another is tested through various trials and serves as a testament to the power of true friendship. I love reading about friendships in novels, and Irving was able to create a bond between two friends that was emotional to read about and impossible to forget.
Other themes that were explored are predestination and fate, identity and belonging, and loss and grief.
While I overall enjoyed this book and will not soon forget it, it is not without its shortcomings. I found that it was a very lengthy book with a lot of distracting digressions. Irving's writing style often includes extensive deviations that can distract from the main narrative. Even though each character, no matter how minor, contributes to the overall narrative, I found that Irving's tangents often disrupted the flow of the story and made it feel too convoluted at times. Irving tended to ramble on and on to the point where he became very repetitive, and I became restless.
This is also a very slowly paced book. While the story has moments of intense momentum and suspense, there are also stretches where the narrative slows down significantly. Even though the pacing was slow, it all paid off in the end.
I am not sure if this book will be for everyone. I think this is a book to read if you want a clever slow burn of a story. If you have enough patience to read through the slowness of the plot, you will be rewarded with a satisfying and complete ending. Everything really does come around full circle in a way I didn't expect.
I read this as part of my Top 100 Books to Read challenge.
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