A Prayer for Owen Meany
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It sounds like a movie I saw with Jim Carey?
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Anna
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"A Prayer for Owen Meany" deserves a full read. It is one of Irving's best novels, beautifully written and almost perfectly structured in a way that you can't even appreciate until the final scenes tie the diverse narrative together in a surprising and elegant package.






Perfect character development, perfect plot development, perfect title, perfect symbolism!

I didn't ever see the movie and maybe will one day but with the understanding that it is only modeled after the characters.

One of my all time favorites. I would judge people by their opinion of it. If a person doesn't like this book, they are not anyone with whom I choose to develop a relationship. There something deep and personal about it and I think I will read it again.
The only books I have read twice are:
Gone with the wind
Anna Karenina
Lonesome Dove
I am new here but it looks like I don't have a problem with having opinions!!!
The movie was mildly amusing but the casting was great.
The only books I have read twice are:
Gone with the wind
Anna Karenina
Lonesome Dove
I am new here but it looks like I don't have a problem with having opinions!!!
The movie was mildly amusing but the casting was great.

I always dream-cast books, too. LOL And Robin Williams was certainly NOT my Garp.

I'm desperately trying to put off ever reading it again, in case it doesnt measure up......
cant imagine it ever being adapted well, so have stayed clear of the tv film.....


"
What are the other 2?

In my opinion, the only successful movie made from an Irving novel is The Cider House Rules, the one he scripted himself. He shrunk the events down from about twenty years to about two years.

One of my favorites...it changed me..






I completely agree with you and never even saw the movie.


Contrary to some comments above, however, John Irving did NOT "hate" the movie Simon Birch; per the interviews cited in the link I've posted below, he actually liked the screenplay but thought enough had been changed about the original plot (with Irving's permission) that it warranted changing the title and character names so readers wouldn't feel misled. The opening of the movie mirrors the opening of the book exactly, and much of the first half of the movie DOES emulate the book closely. It's the latter half that's changed (not the first half, as the commenter above states).
A Prayer for Owen Meany is one of my top all-time favorite books, and John Irving is my favorite author. It's a book that stays with you a long time after you finish reading it and leaves you thinking much about the roles of fate and destiny in our lives, and if you believe in them. The early part of the book may have a bit of a slow start, but the opening sentence is one of the most memorable and perfect lines ever. And the way the book ties everything together at the end, as others have noted above, is incredible.
I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed the movie even if it didn't replicate the book exactly. The characters were well-cast (with Jim Carrey as a pleasant surprise, not credited until the end of the movie, nor shown in the trailer). The movie was amusing and moving, and the scenery shot was absolutely gorgeous, even if it was actually shot in Canada. Perhaps it was a bit on the sentimental side, but as a sentimental person, I don't mind that.
As John Irving himself noted, this book would be extremely difficult to replicate it as a movie. I think it could be better done in today's world of Hulu/Netflix/AmazonPrime/etc offerings as a miniseries or a limited series, much like TNT's The Alienist has been reimagined from a book into a very enthralling limited series. I hope at some point John Irving would consider allowing that to be done with his book. But if not, I'm perfectly content to just reread APfOM and get lost in its genius and meditation on life, regardless.
Here's the article linked I mentioned earlier for those interested in learning more about the Simon Birch/Owen Meany connection:
http://mentalfloss.com/article/63462/...

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Debbi i am the opposite i saw the movie and loved it! I have not read the book and it seems they are different?
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