A Prayer for Owen Meany in Classics Without All the Class

Nov 23, 2024 Avisek Bandyopadhyay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, awesome-reads, literary-genius, slice-of-life

Like any powerful book I've enjoyed reading, I will stay in Owen Meany's hangover for some time. I had heard of Irving so much that I only knew when I got into the book that it would be a literary orgiastic feast. And in many senses, it was.

Owen Meany is a small guy with a disoriented voice who believes in fatalism - everything that he is (his voice/ his obsessions/ his relationships), has a purpose. And once the purpose is fulfilled, he will die. And with that strong confidence that he is God's Like any powerful book I've enjoyed reading, I will stay in Owen Meany's hangover for some time. I had heard of Irving so much that I only knew when I got into the book that it would be a literary orgiastic feast. And in many senses, it was.

Owen Meany is a small guy with a disoriented voice who believes in fatalism - everything that he is (his voice/ his obsessions/ his relationships), has a purpose. And once the purpose is fulfilled, he will die. And with that strong confidence that he is God's instrument, he leads a rather eventful life where he can will his way through a diaspora of people. While his parents are cold and distant, he finds support and intimacy in John Wheelwright, his best friend and his mother, step-father, and grandfather.

In my head, I had to compare it with one of the most moving books I have ever read - Stoner.

On the first page, it becomes clear in both the books that the book is about one person and he is dead. The major difference is while Owen Meany is the reason that his friend is a Christian, Stoner can acclaim no such influence in his life.

Both the books grapple with the internal narrative we create for ourselves, resilience, religion and belief - but while Stoner is a no-one - an obscure hero who will die like most of people, Owen Meany dies a hero and he knew he lives to die like a hero.

Yet the impending tragedy makes their lives tedious. They make enemies who keeps a grudge, suffer, have a few friends, have a very difficult family and generally down on their knees. Yet, there is something when they channelise their internal conviction to rise.

No, it's not a meteoric rise. But, they do all right if their starting block is compared.

Somehow, these stories carry a lot of hope, introspection and give me a lot of support when I am down on my luck.

Coming back to Meany, I still do not think it is as powerful as Stoner. But, he had his moments - the American commentary on Vietman war - I glanced over it. Irving is an American writer, that was my instant conclusion because the subplot was so American.

But, all in all, it is a really powerful book.

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Oct 25, 2021 Teeter Blair rated it it was amazing

John Irving is genius. I’ve read many of his books, but this one . . . . How does he do it? I lived through the Vietnam nightmare, so I hung on all of the details surrounding the war. And I’ll never forget Owen, who has to be the most memorable character from any book I’ve read. A brilliant novel.

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