I so enjoyed introducing a fabulous author recently, I chose to do it again. This time, I'm writing about John Irving.

John Irving writes fictional novels about life... his quirky characters are always richly flushed out. If you read enough of his books, you'll see a reappearance of bears. Some of his books like The World According to Garp and Cider House Rules have been turned into Hollywood blockbusters. But as it is so often, movies rarely do the books justice.

The movie, Cider House Rules, just touches upon how the main character, an orphan named Homer Wells, got his name. In the book, an orphan's moniker was chosen by the nurses. It just so happened that when Homer arrived, he was named by a nurse who had a tendency to dub a child's first name after cherished pets. You'll have to read the book to learn how Homer got his last name.

A Prayer for Owen Meany

Out of the many books that I've read from John Irving, the one I get the honor to highlight today is A Prayer for Owen Meany. I remember pondering my own life after finishing the book. It made me laugh and cry. It reminds us that we are all here for a reason.

The Impact of the First Line

In the very first line, the narrator, John Wheelwright mentions that he's doomed to remember his best friend Owen Meany.

"I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice – not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother’s death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany."

Doomed is such a peculiar word when used in remembrance of a best friend, yet when you read the book, you may end up agreeing with Irving's use of this very word. It is through the weakness of Owen Meany that we see strength. To me, this was more than just a good book.

Notable Quotes from A Prayer for Owen Meany

This quote sums up a similar experience I had with losing my dad.

When someone you love dies, and you're not expecting it, you don't lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces over a long time—the way the mail stops coming, and her scent fades from the pillows and even from the clothes in her closet and drawers. Gradually, you accumulate the parts of her that are gone. Just when the day comes—when there's a particular missing part that overwhelms you with the feeling that she's gone, forever—there comes another day, and another specifically missing part.

This quote sums up how I feel about my family, friends, pets, faith, and Steem!

If you care about something you have to protect it – If you’re lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it.

Recent Posts

All about Pepper: For Pet Lovers Only... All Others May Hurl

Previous Posts

I love the smell of books. Am I weird? I blame authors like Edward Rutherford.

You can also find me @karencarrens on Discord as well as Steemit.Chat.