Audible Changed My Life. A Prayer for Owen Meany.

Jan 24

Jan 24 Audible Changed My Life. A Prayer for Owen Meany.

Audible Changed My Life.

Reviews, Conversations and Insights. And You are Invited.

This series of audiobook reviews is based on my reading over the past seven years during my one-hundred-mile daily commute. Audible changed my life.

Some books are just better listened to than read. Perhaps it is the accents that you could never get right in your brain. Other times the audio reads like a play, an unabridged performance with all the author wished to convey. No screenplay modifications. Today’s selection fits in this category, with Joe Barrett meaningfully mastering the “wrecked voice” of Owen Meany.

The statistics presented with each review are provided by Audible.

A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving.

By: John Irving

Narrated by: Joe Barrett
Length: 27 hour and 19 minutes
Published 1990
Release date: 08-11-09
Rating at Time of Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars with 7,881 ratings

John Irving stated that he always starts his writing at the end, putting the last sentence to paper first. This book has a compelling last sentence but its captivating opening enticed me. John Irving’s books are long, requiring commitment. Usually a social or political message is conveyed. Some reviewers complain the stories lag in spots but that has never been an issue for me. So why is A Prayer for Owen Meany a perfect Audible listen? First off, the book in and of itself is a great book coming in as number twenty-six on the recently completed PBS The Great American Read competition (for those of you who believe the contest worthy of mention). More significantly is Owen’s voice which plays such a crucial role that Irving presented his dialogue in uppercase letters throughout his manuscript. On Audible, the narrator Joe Barrett masters Owen’s voice and it simply becomes part of the story. And what a story! This book is like a long train ride that slowly guides you through the scenery of the land. At the conclusion of your journey, you look back with appreciation and wonder. Owen Meany is a character that stays with you- a man, a legend and a self-declared prophet.

The Compelling Opening. Enjoy!

“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.”

Audible Changed My Life is a continuing series. More book reviews, and more about audiobooks and “me,” to follow. Feel free to jump into the conversation!

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Janet T. Verneuille

By day Janet T. Verneuille is a highly regarded bank executive, CFO, CPA, and industry mentor. Janet also served in local government and as the business administrator of an East End school district. She is known among her friends, family and colleagues as a dynamo—never still for a moment, and the ultimate multi-tasker. Janet is an avid reader and prides herself on being a lifetime learner. So while driving her hour to Empire National Bank each day, she listens to books on Audible. After hours, in addition to reading, Janet is a great baker and cook, fabulous wife, and mother of three grown children. She is also a loving and extraordinary family member and friend. She is committed to a fitness regime, and takes long walks in and around beautiful Sag Harbor—often capturing photos of poignant moments.

Janet is active in both her professional and civic communities, serving on multiple boards and committees. She holds degrees from Suffolk Community College and Hofstra University, and earned a Masters Degree in Social Policy at Empire State College.

Janet lives in Noyack with her husband Thomas. They are proud of their three children, all of them successful in their own right.