A Prayer for Owen Meany
This week I realized I was ahead on my reading list, so I was able to pickup this lovely novel and give it a go. It's a wonderful book. John Irving's story creates one of the most unique characters in literature. He's small in stature, the book cites him as being under five feet, he's described as creepy and cute, and speaks in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. I feel like Owen serves the book in the following ways, he's there to be the town oddity. Having grown up in a town roughly the size of Gravesend I'm familiar with this. It's the person that any other community wouldn't tolerate, but for some reason, is the missing puzzle piece that brings the town together. He also exists as a Christ like figure. Owen's father says that he believes that Owen was a virgin birth. Irving is able to create a modern Christ and show how he'd react to high school, dating, and friendships. However, as Christlike as Owen is he often manipulates people to get his way. As much as Irving wants us to believe that Owen is miraculous, he's also quite capable of deception by omission. Owen is a flawed Christ, not the perfect Son of Man that exists in the Bible. The way he's written walks a fine line between the profane and sacred. Then again, don't we all? Owen may be our mirror. He may reflect back to us what we want to be and what we despise. He gives us the best parts of humanity and, in some ways, the worst.
I can't write this post without commenting on Irving's writing style. As much as I was sung the praises of this book, I found the way it was written a bit jarring. Wisely, Irving uses large paragraph breaks to separate the two, but zooming back and forth between 1959 and 1987 was a bit rough. The tone shifts in these parts are marked, even though Irving pulls it all together in the end, it's still difficult for the first 250 pages. This is the main flaw of the book. However, wait it out. The payoff it worth adapting to the writing style. As the two time lines draw closer it makes more and more sense.
Walking away from this novel I get a deep sense of why it's beloved. The story is unique, touching, and thought provoking. I found myself setting the book aside and pondering Owen. I want to get to know him. I want to be transported into the book and ask him for advice. I want to sit down and smoke* a cigarette with him. When the book ended I shed a tear. It was very difficult to let him go.
Next up, I'm starting classics month a bit early. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass is first up. I have to say I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVEEEEEEEEE this book. I've read it many times, so my write up will be less about it and more about how it fits into our zeitgeist.
* Yes I smoke. Yes I know I need to quit. Don't lecture me about it.
This week I realized I was ahead on my reading list, so I was able to pickup this lovely novel and give it a go. It's a wonderful book. John Irving's story creates one of the most unique characters in literature. He's small in stature, the book cites him as being under five feet, he's described as creepy and cute, and speaks in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. I feel like Owen serves the book in the following ways, he's there to be the town oddity. Having grown up in a town roughly the size of Gravesend I'm familiar with this. It's the person that any other community wouldn't tolerate, but for some reason, is the missing puzzle piece that brings the town together. He also exists as a Christ like figure. Owen's father says that he believes that Owen was a virgin birth. Irving is able to create a modern Christ and show how he'd react to high school, dating, and friendships. However, as Christlike as Owen is he often manipulates people to get his way. As much as Irving wants us to believe that Owen is miraculous, he's also quite capable of deception by omission. Owen is a flawed Christ, not the perfect Son of Man that exists in the Bible. The way he's written walks a fine line between the profane and sacred. Then again, don't we all? Owen may be our mirror. He may reflect back to us what we want to be and what we despise. He gives us the best parts of humanity and, in some ways, the worst.
I can't write this post without commenting on Irving's writing style. As much as I was sung the praises of this book, I found the way it was written a bit jarring. Wisely, Irving uses large paragraph breaks to separate the two, but zooming back and forth between 1959 and 1987 was a bit rough. The tone shifts in these parts are marked, even though Irving pulls it all together in the end, it's still difficult for the first 250 pages. This is the main flaw of the book. However, wait it out. The payoff it worth adapting to the writing style. As the two time lines draw closer it makes more and more sense.
Walking away from this novel I get a deep sense of why it's beloved. The story is unique, touching, and thought provoking. I found myself setting the book aside and pondering Owen. I want to get to know him. I want to be transported into the book and ask him for advice. I want to sit down and smoke* a cigarette with him. When the book ended I shed a tear. It was very difficult to let him go.
Next up, I'm starting classics month a bit early. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass is first up. I have to say I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVEEEEEEEEE this book. I've read it many times, so my write up will be less about it and more about how it fits into our zeitgeist.
(Image brought to you by: Nayaww)
* Yes I smoke. Yes I know I need to quit. Don't lecture me about it.
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