40 Forever: I love John Irving!

Whenever I embark upon a new John Irving novel, I feel like I should bid my friends farewell and post a “Gone Fishin’” sign on my front door. I waited all year for the new book to come out, and when I finally got my paws on a copy, it was better than Christmas Day. And here’s the icing on the cake . . . the very first sentence is about a librarian!

In One Person has all the elements you expect in a John Irving novel–incest, bears (sort of), New England, boarding school, wrestling, and there’s even a brief stint in Vienna. This is his first book, however, which focuses on the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered) community. A large portion of the book takes place during the heart of the AIDS crisis.

I’m not going to tell you much more about the book because I don’t want to ruin any of the surprises. If you are not afraid of spoilers, check out the following two reviews:

New York Times: Sexuality and Other Multitudes: In One Person, John Irving’s New Novel.

Huffington Post: Identity, Sexuality, and Society’s Assault on the Self: A Commentary of John Irving’s Novel, In One Person.