In One Person

Mutable. John Irving writes with eloquence about desire and sexual identity in his novel, In One Person. Protagonist Billy Abbott is a likeable and entertaining narrator as Irving guides readers through five decades of Billy’s life on the 400+ pages of this novel. While many characters are presented or revealed with a label: bisexual, transgender, homosexual, cross-dresser; they are not defined or limited by those labels. Their sexual desires matter, but they are not the sum of those desires. Irving presents episodes of tolerance and intolerance, of understanding and disappointment, as he allows readers to become involved with characters most of us might not meet in our everyday lives. Irving displays a range of human behavior while reinforcing the bonds of what we share in common. If the subject of mutable sexual identity makes you too uncomfortable, this is probably a novel you may not enjoy. Any reader who appreciates fine writing and who is open to spending time with characters that may be unfamiliar is likely to enjoy this finely written novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase In One Person from amazon.com.