A Prayer for Owen Meany is a novel by American writer John Irving, first published in 1989. Image File history File links Owen_meany. ... John Winslow Irving (born March 2, 1942 as John Wallace Blunt, Jr. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... For other uses, see Novel (disambiguation). ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Sir William Morrow DSO ED was a leading Australian surgeon and specilist in Gastroenterology he also served as president of the Royal Australian College of Physicians. ... Hardcover books A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth, heavy paper, or sometimes leather). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... ISBN redirects here. ... John Winslow Irving (born March 2, 1942 as John Wallace Blunt, Jr. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ...

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. Owen is also the recipient of many special privileges, such as getting to play the baby in a Christmas pageant because he is the only actor who can fit in the crib and not cry.

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.

The familiar Irving setting (based on his own biography) of a New England private school relates the novel to the frameworks of his other works. However, other familiar Irving themes and settings (e.g. prostitutes, wrestling, Vienna, and sexual relationships between young men and older women) are missing, or mentioned only briefly.

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.

John occasionally withdraws from the past to offer criticisms of the Vietnam War and the Iran-Contra Affair. Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... The Iran-Contra Affair was a political scandal occurring in 1987 as a result of earlier events during the Reagan administration in which members of the executive branch sold weapons to Iran, an avowed enemy, and illegally used the profits to continue funding anti-Communist rebels, the Contras, in Nicaragua. ...

The setting is based on Phillips Exeter Academy, in Exeter, New Hampshire. A real-life John Wheelwright was the founder of the town of Exeter in 1638. , Phillips Exeter Academy (most commonly called Exeter, Phillips Exeter or PEA) is a co-educational independent boarding school for grades 9–12, located on 619 acres in Exeter, New Hampshire, U.S., fifty miles north of Boston [1]. In over two centuries of its existence, Phillips Exeter Academy has played... Location in Rockingham County, New Hampshire Coordinates: Country United States State New Hampshire County Rockingham County Incorporated 1638  - Board of Selectmen Paul Binette, Chairman Robert Eastman Joe Pace William Campbell Lionel Ingram Area    - Town 51. ... The text of this page is transcribed from reference #1 below. ...

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. Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Simon Birch is a 1998 Comedy-drama film loosely based on the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. ... Mark Steven Johnson, (born October 30, 1964 in Hastings, Minnesota) is a film director and writer. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Joseph Mazzello is an American actor born on September 21, 1983. ... Ashley Judd (born April 19, 1968) is an American actress. ... Oliver Platt as The West Wings Oliver Babish Oliver Platt (born January 12, 1960 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian film and television actor. ... James Eugene Carrey (born January 17, 1962) is a two-time Golden Globe Award-winning Canadian-American A-list film actor and comedian. ...

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]} The Royal National Theatre from Waterloo Bridge The Royal National Theatre is a building complex and theatre company located on the South Bank in London, England immediately east of the southern end of Waterloo Bridge. ...

Cultural references

Californian punk rock band Lagwagon based the song "Owen Meaney" from their 1998 album Let's Talk About Feelings on the book. Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... -1... Lets Talk About Feelings is the fifth album by the California punk band Lagwagon, released in 1998. ...

The band Jimmy Eat World also based the song "Goodbye Sky Harbor" from their 1999 album Clarity on the book. Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, formed in 1993. ... Clarity is the second album by Jimmy Eat World. ...

Danish band Nephew mention Owen Meany in the song "Swimming Time" from their debut album Swimming Time - ("stacking all the books, sampling Owen Meany"). Nephew is a Danish rock band. ...

In the movie Milk Money, the elementary school is christened Owen Meany Elementary. Milk Money is a romantic comedy film about three friends who travel to the city to hire a prostitute (Melanie Griffith) to strip for them, then try and set her up with their single dad (Ed Harris). ...