Originally published on my blog at therelentlessreader.comI SHOULD WRITE THIS REVIEW IN ALL CAPS. IF YOU'VE READ THE BOOK YOU'LL KNOW WHY. IF NOT, PLEASE GET YOURSELF TO THE NEAREST BOOKSTORE/LIBRARY AND GET YOURSELF A COPY.Okay, enough of that. It's annoying.I think I read Owen Meany at just the right time for me. If I had read this in '89, when it first came out, it wouldn't have affected me as much as it did.When Irving goes on about A Christmas Carol I got it. I've acted in the play and I recognized all of the lines. When The Great Gatsby was discussed I felt excited because I've recently re-read it. Johnny is a bit obsessed with politics and the news. Hey, me too! Etc., etc.This quote pretty much sums up my life:“Newspapers are a bad habit, the reading equivalent of junk food. What happens to me is that I seize upon an issue in the news—the issue is the moral/philosophical, political/intellectual equivalent of a cheeseburger with everything on it; but for the duration of my interest in it, all my other interests are consumed by it, and whatever appetites and capacities I may have had for detachment and reflection are suddenly subordinate to this cheeseburger in my life! I offer this as self-criticism; but what it means to be "political" is that you welcome these obsessions with cheeseburgers—at great cost to the rest of your life.” I chuckled my way throughout the whole book. Owen is such a character. Is there anyone like him in the history of books? I think not. His views and shenanigans are priceless. There's a scene involving the headmaster, a car, and a set of stairs that sent me over the hysterical edge. (Seriously. The BAHAHAHA kind of laughter that had my family wondering what was wrong with me.)When I wasn't laughing I was wiping away tears. There were so many moments when I felt choked up. This book is emotional and poignant. The end...oh sweet Jesus, the end!Have you read A Prayer for Owen Meany? If not, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
