John Irving's Latest

I've read a lot of John Irving. A Prayer for Owen Meany is by far the best in his oeuvre. Most of the time, Irving annoys me with his repetition and silliness. His new book, In One Person, has those characteristics in spades.

The topic is unique: sexual choices that don't necessarily fit neatly into categories. He  explores the infinite forms of desire, leaving out only the celibate and the addicted. LGBTQ is the contemporary shorthand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning. There are characters in the book that fall in these broad categories and there are ones who fall somewhere in the spaces between. Hermaphrodites aren't considered. You'll have to read Jeffrey Eugenides Middlesex to learn about that.

The only admirable non-heterosexual in the book is Ms. Frost, a transgendered former wrestling champ who works as the village librarian. She's someone I'd like to know: thoughtful, accepting and widely-read. I don't think I've ever know a Ms. Frost, but then I only know people who fit into neat categories. Transgender is squishier. At least these people are able to carry out their preferences in ways they couldn't before.

Irving's treatment of the AIDS epidemic is superb. He presents it like a murder mystery, dropping clues along the way. Some of us know more than we want to about how AIDS ravages the body.There's a lot to learn in Irving's book about the disease.

Irving takes a shot at snooty people who quibble about terms like transsexual and transgendered.

"I just love it when when certain people feel free to tell writers what the correct words are. When I hear the same people use impact as a verb, I want to throw up."


Between you and me, Mr. Irving, it's best to ignore the idiots.