In One Person - John Irving

In One Person

By John Irving

  • Release Date: 2012-05-08
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
Score: 4
4
From 546 Ratings

Description

From the author of A Prayer for Owen Meany and The World According to Garp comes "his most daringly political, sexually transgressive, and moving novel in well over a decade" (Vanity Fair).

A New York Times bestselling novel of desire, secrecy, and sexual identity, In One Person is a story of unfulfilled love—tormented, funny, and affecting—and an impassioned embrace of our sexual differences. Billy, the bisexual narrator and main character of In One Person, tells the tragicomic story (lasting more than half a century) of his life as a "sexual suspect," a phrase first used by John Irving in 1978 in his landmark novel of "terminal cases," The World According to Garp.

In One Person is a poignant tribute to Billy’s friends and lovers—a theatrical cast of characters who defy category and convention. Not least, In One Person is an intimate and unforgettable portrait of the solitariness of a bisexual man who is dedicated to making himself "worthwhile."

Reviews

  • Mesmerizing

    4
    By dragonprincess
    I am a huge John Irving fan. I love all of his characters, and William is no exception. I love his relationship with Elaine and Larry, particularly. His grandfather is a great character-- and who could forget poor, pathetic Tom Atkins? There are some hilarious scenes-- many laugh-out-loud moments (thanksgiving with Gerry and her new girlfriend). I wanted a bit more at the end...I wanted more on the end of Bill's life...certainly more of how Elaine wound up! But John has done it for me, yet again...loved this book.
  • In One Person

    5
    By Shaunydaun
    I am amazed at the frankness Mr. Irving brings to this topic. As a bisexual reader, I am proud and grateful to him.
  • The Best Since Garp

    5
    By Lissabw
    I LOVE this novel! I think it is a very important picture of American sexual evolution in sophisticated circles of our population and a respectful and poignant record of the AIDs epidemic of the eighties in New York city.
  • So compelling

    5
    By Smd8015
    I love John Irving's novels. And this one is no exception. The characters are so well developed, and each has something significantly intriguing and unusual about them, yet the reader can identify with them. I'm always disappointed when I come to the end. I want to know more about what happens to them. I want to keep reading about them! So engaging!
  • Great book

    5
    By Spl565
    Initially hard to get into but ended up loving it. A Prayer For Owen Meany has been one of my favorite books so thought I'd try another book by this author. It's funny and thought provoking. I love Irving's style.
  • In One Person

    3
    By Scibon1
    I thought this was story about a young boy growing up to be bisexual and to be a writer. I learned a lot about bisexuality and the gay community but nothing at all about how one learns to write or what it means to be a successful novelist. Well written but disappointing.
  • Wonderful, funny, touching

    5
    By JollyBuzz
    Irving does not disappoint!
  • Gotta love a paper book

    5
    By zoozoo66
    John Irving doesn't read well as an ebbok I am only two chapters in and I want to buy the book!!! Kudos!!
  • In One Person

    1
    By Kuhkopf
    John Irving's thirteenth novel is certainly not one of his best. It's a mostly tedious read involving too many amateur theater productions and more importantly, boys in the 60's who as men in the 80's paid a great price for their lack of sexual "normalcy". Mr. Irving's descriptions of aids related deaths are graphic, accurate, and agonizing. But the novel's saving grace is its message regarding the frequently maligned LGBT community. "What you are isn't natural- you aren't normal! " the novel's bisexual protagonist Billy Abbott is told. He responds to the charges with words he once heard in his youth, "Please don't put a label on me... before you get to know me." Bruce Sperber