A Prayer for Owen Meany
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| A Prayer for Owen Meany | |
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| Author | John Irving |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Publication date | March 1989 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 640 p. (paperback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-688-08760-4 (hardback edition) & ISBN 0-552-99369-7 (paperback edition) |
A Prayer for Owen Meany is a novel by American writer John Irving, first published in 1989.
[edit] Plot summary
The novel is told through the eyes of a mature John Wheelwright. Children and adults alike seem drawn to and are almost protective of Owen.
The narrative is constructed as the interweaving of three different stories of past John, present John, and Owen's life. There is the historical retelling.
This novel shares familiarity with Irving's other works. However, other familiar Irving themes and settings (e.g. prostitutes, wrestling, Vienna, bears, and sexual relationships between young men and older women) are missing, or mentioned only briefly.
The setting is based on Phillips Exeter Academy, in Exeter, New Hampshire. Young Johnny Wheelwright is skeptical of Owen Meany's unquestioned belief in the purpose of all things. Since the novel is written retrospectively, much of the novel takes the tone of John's newfound wisdom. Irving setting (based on his own biography) of a New England private school relates the novel to the frameworks
John occasionally withdraws from the past to offer criticisms of the Vietnam War and the Iran-Contra Affair.
A real-life John Wheelwright was the founder of the town of Exeter in 1638.
[edit] Adaptations
The 1998 feature-length film Simon Birch, directed by Mark Steven Johnson, was loosely based on the novel. The film starred Ian Michael Smith, Joseph Mazzello, Ashley Judd, Oliver Platt and Jim Carrey. It omitted much of the latter half of the novel and altered the ending. The movie does not share the book's title at Irving's request; he did not believe the film was a proper representation of the novel.
In 2002, the Royal National Theatre staged Simon Bent's adaptation A Prayer for Owen Meany: On Faith starring Aiden Mcardle as the title character.[citation needed]
[edit] Cultural references
Californian punk rock band Lagwagon based the song "Owen Meaney" from their 1998 album Let's Talk About Feelings on the book.
The band Jimmy Eat World also based the song "Goodbye Sky Harbor" from their 1999 album Clarity on the book.
Danish band Nephew mention Owen Meany in the song "Swimming Time" from their debut album Swimming Time - ("stacking all the books, sampling Owen Meany").
In the movie Milk Money, the elementary school is christened Owen Meany Elementary.
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