Episode 34: The BXC Review of ”A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving

The fourth in our podcast's regular series of "deep dives" into books that, for whatever reason, have the popularity, subject matter or complexity to justify an extended discussion. This time we tackle one of the more popular novels in the past several decades, a book that has struck a nerve with a great many American readers in particular, and was loudly championed by none other than Mr. Stephen King: John Irving's 1989 bestseller 'A Prayer for Owen Meany.' It's a book that certainly manages to cram quite a lot into its hefty 600-page length, and certainly has its admirers as well as its detractors. On which side will your twin hosts ultimately find themselves in this debate; how did the diminutive, prophetic titular character strike them; and what are some of the enduring merits and/or flaws of this widely read novel? Episode 34 leaves no stone unturned to try and wring some meaning out of the enigmatic seventh novel by Mr. Irving, previously best known for titles such as 'The World According to Garp' and 'The Cider House Rules.'

BOOKS DISCUSSED/MENTIONED/RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE

What Jude is currently reading/plans to read next:

'The Reason for the Darkness of the Night: Edgar Allan Poe and the Forging of American Science,' John Tresch -

'The Abstainer,' Ian McGuire -

What John is currently reading/plans to read next:

'The Book of Margery Kempe,' Margery Kempe -

'Time O'Clock,' Foster Mullins -

Books/Writers discussed in this episode:

'A Prayer for Owen Meany' by John Irving

Planned next episode of the Book XChange podcast:

"Go Big or Go Home" - in our next discussion we will talk about "big books" - books that aren't afraid to go to great lengths (literally) to entertain, inform and risk possibly infuriating their readers. Why do some books decide to "go big," is it true that weighty tomes aren't quite as popular now as they once used to be, and of course... what are some of our favorites, and why?