a prayer for owen meaney, why is it taking me so long to read?

[pennypuffle]

I'm a quick reader and can usually get through a good book in a week so why is a prayer to owen meaney taking me so long?

Is it a very long book? Is it slow going? I'm enjoying it but only half way through and feel like i've been reading it for weeks!

No spoilers please!

It's well worth it. I read EVERYTHING, and it's my favourite book.
It's big, but it's just fabulous

It is quite possibly the best book ever written! It took me a while to read too but only because it was not possible to skim read any of it, full concentration was needed, so I read slower.

Because it is quite slow and preachy.
It tries to build up to a big surprise by planting a seed of a story and taking 450 pages to get there.
But it is really quite a slight tale.
Don't believe the hype!

I had 2 flatmates when I was in my mid-20s who absolutely loved this book and convinced me to to try it. I couldn't get past the first 20 pages, it made me feel ill.

I read it last month. Thought I would never get to the end. A big bore if I'm honest. Could have really used an an enthusiastic editor as large parts of it prattled on, seemingly getting nowhere.
Good luck - I know how you feel

it is very slow, very over-written and really very tedious in places. It would have made a great short story but it makes a pretty dreadful novel imho. It spends hundreds and hundreds of pages padding towards a twist that one can see coming - really bad writing. Laboured and self conscious.

Owen Meany is bloody brilliant. Fact.

Hang in there.

Stick with it, it is as moonblush says.

Take your time. It's a book that needs chewing over and it will stay with you forever. I always find his books a 'slow' read but emotionally they imprint in my memory. The World According to Garp is the same.....

I'm glad this came up. I started it but found it too dull to persevere with, but have a friend who thinks it's wonderful. It's obviously a marmite book, but glad to know I'm not alone.

Agree with previous posters. Stick with it as it is a wonderful book but is not one that you can read in 5 min bytes. You need to give it an hour or so at a time and as a Mum, who has the time? But do try, you will be glad you did.

I have never read the last 50 pages or so - even though I LOVED it - because I felt it was leading up to an inevitable ending that I didn't want to happen
Don't recall the rest of it taking a long time to read though?
I did love it, and read one or two other John Irving's, but started to feel like the stories were all the same...

I couldn't bear it. Weird but in a pointless way. I read it because my closest friend couldn't stop talking about how wonderful it was so I felt sure I was bound to love it. And then I just thought it was awful.

Such extreme views
Love TeaandHobnobs that you couldn't bear to read the end
I'm in the 'Love It' camp.
Yes it's long. Yes it's (occasionally) heavy - not a light read like The Cider House Rules.
But it really is moving and powerful and a little bit strange.
Keep going and enjoy that you get to spend so much time with it.