Ok, first of all - is that John Irving's photo on that book cover?
Because doesn't it look a lot like George Clooney?
That is all I will say on that topic.
As for the book - I AM SO GLAD THAT I AM FINISHED WITH IT!
IT TOOK ME FOREVER TO READ IT.
There is a good story in there, but it is often hidden among all of the rambling and griping about politics by John Wheelwright, the main character, who tells the story.
The story begins when John is 11 and his best friend, the diminuative Owen Meany, who believes he is an instrument to be used by God, accidentally kills John's mother.
The book then goes back and forth from John and Owen's younger life - spanning from ages 11 to their early 20s to John's "present" life as a self imposed eunich school teacher in Canada in 1987. He alternately gripes about the Vietnam war and the Regan era politics.
I liked parts of the story, BUT IT ANNOYED ME THAT OWEN'S SPEAKING WAS ALWAYS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. I FOUND IT DISTRACTING AND IT MADE THOSE PARTS OF THE BOOK MORE DIFFICULT FOR ME TO READ ESPECALLY WHEN THERE WERE WHOLE PAGES OF IT. Owen has an odd high voice and he decided as a high school journalist to type his newspaper column in ALL CAPS and in all places in the book, if Owen is speaking , IT IS IN ALL CAPS. I GOT TIRED OF ALL THE POLITICAL RAMBLING SO I STARTED SKIMMING OVER THAT PART ABOUT 3/4 OF THE WAY THROUGH JUST SO I COULD FINISH THE BOOK. YOU HAVE TO READ THE WHOLE THING TO THE VERY END TO GET TO THE POINT OF THE STORY. Maybe if you like people griping about political history you will like this book.
WORD!
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