To those of you who've tiptoed into Irving's better known works and are now looking for the next one to tackle, here's my advice. I've devoured Garp, Hotel New Hampshire, the movie of Cider House Rules (obviously not the same as reading the book but it served as my introduction to Irving) and now Owen Meany, all in two months time. Owen Meany is the equal of all that came before, perhaps even better. The story carries the familiar longitudinal aspects of the others: one boy's story told over many, many years, against a backdrop of the times as he experiences them. Yet this one is unique. The story moves forward and backwards, too. The narrative focuses on a relative handful of events that Irving lovingly details in his darkly humorous and bittersweet way. The theme of Vietnam underlies the book, sometimes bitterly jabbing through the narrative; I was expecting a sour diatribe on the foibles of our exercise there and was pleasantly surprised to find these sections very human and so very effective. Also, Irving lays on the foreshadowing thicker here than in the others but with wonderful effect. Events hinted at in the very beginning of the book are not finalized until the next to the last page (i.e., don't read ahead!). While some authors use foreshadowing smugly as a way of suggesting that they know something we don't, Irving uses it delicately, although often, and we don't tire of it: it pulls rather than pushes you through the book. Pick up Owen Meany, it will reward you many times over.

"A Prayer for Owen Meany" is NOT your typical book. Of course, that could be said about any of John Irving's novels; his is one of the most unusual voices I've ever read. But this one is especially unique. Owen Meany is probably the most memorable character that I've ever come across in a book of any genre. A dwarf with a voice so striking and strange that his dialogue is WRITTEN IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, he also believes (rightly!) that he is an instrument of God. It is sometimes confusing to follow the jumps in time; the narrator, Owen's best friend Johnny Wheelwright, alternates the story of his growing up with Owen with anecdotes from his "present" life in the late 80's.

Predestination, faith, doubt, politics, love, hate, family, friendship...these are all themes that make appearances in this book. Furthermore, it is a page-turner that is impossible to put down, right from the start. I read the entire second half of the book in one marathon reading session, wasting an entire morning because I couldn't bear to stop, knowing that more revelations were in store. I've read some of Irving's other novels, and loved them all, but I think "A Prayer for Owen Meany" has been the best so far.

This book is quite possibly the most moving look at relationships between best friends. It also serves to question what Christ, which Owen Meany obviously represents, knew about his inevitable death.

Be ready to spend time with these characters; even the most minor characters demand your attention.

Religion, as mentioned before, is a key focus of the book. Faith becomes the cross which Johnny, the narrator, and Owen, the books namesake, must bear. The journey they take is well worth the destination

The hardest part of the book, for all those unfamiliar with Irving or Dickins (of whom he uncannily reminds me), is the deep history of the New England area in which the story takes place. Also be ready to jump from the present and past with little or no warning.

There are neat scenes that make the book memorable, such as the loss of the narrator's finger. These little snipets, like the snapshots offered in "Blue Highways," by William Least Heat Moon, compile into a rich photo album for the reader to revisit time and time again.

While Dr. David Elkind is a respected name in the Child Psychology arena, I found that anything of value or knowledge that he presented in The Hurried Child is merely common sense. It scares me to think that there are actually people out in this world, reproducing, who need to read this book.
Dr. Elkind expressed some valid points on the general "rush of society" - our tendency to saddle our children with competition in the adult world, but nothing that needed 221 pages of interpretation. Dr. Elkind takes an extremist position on his point of view throughout the book. Despite the books' attempts at valuable lessons, they are dissected into such meaningless pieces that any cohesive lesson is lost. The reality is we are living in a rapidly changing society, and individuals need to do their best to strive at an individual pace to attain what they perceive as success.

In The Hurried Child, Dr. Elkind does a competent job of describing a seriously problematic trend- the increasing inability and even unwillingness to appropriately "cushion" children from the modern world. The message is simple and eloquent: millions of children are simply not experiencing a proper childhood for a multitude of reasons. For some, it may be overcompetitive sports; for others, early sexuality or economic exploitation (children wielding more money and being strongly pursued as a consumer group). But regardless of form, hurrying leaves children trying to deal with adult concerns. While such kids may seem sophisticated, the deeper reality is that they are still children. This false maturation interferes with real maturation, and leads to problems in adolescence and adulthood.

Dr. Elkind gives this book more popular appeal by making his case gently- there are no "Dr. Laura" type challenges here. But if the reader will think through the implications of this book, it is clear that children are being "hurried" because parents aren't making the kinds of choices necessary for a fulfilling and protective family life. Instead, they pursue personal, material and status-oriented goods, very often to the detriment of the family. This is not because they don't care for their kids, but because our culture is so steeped in radical individualism and materialism that the very idea of what a family is supposed to be is lost. It is no surprise that the children suffer as a result, in terms of both emotional and character development.

I would propose a more profound solution than the "moderation" one to be found in this book. The cult of the individual needs to be overthrown. Parents should never make family-altering choices based solely on personal desires; the good of the children and the family unit as a whole should strongly influence what each member does. In addition, the excessive emphasis on "achieving independence" in childhood should be balanced with a recognition that all children need to be nurtured according to their stage of development. Children are not ready to be "individuals" in the adult sense of the term, which is why they are so easily influenced by peers, advertisers and celebrities. A strong, loving and non-hurrying family is a far more healthy source of influence than such factors. The more parents recognize and act upon these realities, the less kids will be "hurried", and the more they will be "trained up in the way they should go."

Dr Elkind has done significant research in the field of child psychology. While some of his research has been the subject of criticism, "The Hurried Child" makes some vary valid points. With his insite, it is difficult to pin-point when childhood is carefree.

In a society the is influenced by the whims of the business world, the working class is easily influenced. Business wants better works that produce at a higher, more profitable rate. Their solution is to put pressure of the educational system. This brings issues of accountability into school. Rather than teacher kids how to think, schools have to focus their curriculum around pass a standardized test to continue to receive funding. In some cases, the standardized tests start before first grade. This is just a sample of te pressure children have to perform. It is no wonder so many kids are seeing terapists who perscribe medicine to keep them from going crazy.

Elkind presents various other forms of stressors on children and discusses why the stress is unnecessary. If something is not done to reverse the trend toward increased stress in our children, it will only get worse. One must realize that generations have turned out ok before the trends toward accountability. Without this movement, we are likely to continue to be ok.