A Prayer For Owen Meany : a `genius' modern American classic - John Irving

`A work of genius' Independent`Brilliantly cinematic . . . Irving shows considerable skill as scene after scene mounts to its moving climax' New York Times'A remarkable novel, a rare creation, an amazingly brave piece of work. So extraordinary, so original, and so enriching' Stephen King`Brave and subtly disturbing, it is all the more remarkable for its engagement with the deepest questions, the most painful mysteries of our lives' Los Angeles Times________'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.'Eleven-year-old Owen Meany, playing in a Little League baseball game in Gravesend, New Hampshire, hits a foul ball and kills his best friend's mother. Owen doesn't believe in accidents; he believes he is God's instrument. What happens to Owen after that 1953 foul ball is both extraordinary and terrifying.