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I don't know why the novels of John Irving move me so much, but he has been my very favorite author for decades. That said, not all of his novels are created equal. I think that In One Person is one of his stronger offerings in recent years, but I also think that it's not the novel for every reader. In short, it deals with very sexually explicit matters, and it deals sympathetically with characters who embrace the full spectrum of human sexuality. I'm not naive enough to believe every reader will be open to the subject matter. At the heart of this novel is Billy Abbott. In the present day, Billy is nearly seventy, but as the novel opens, he's reflecting upon his sexual and creative awakening at the age of 13 upon meeting the town librarian. "And this moment of my sexual awakening also marked the fitful birth of my imagination. We are formed by what we desire. In less than a minute of excited, secretive longing, I desired to become a writer and to have sex with Miss Frost--not necessarily in that order." Miss Frost, it turns out, is not your typical small town librarian, and Billy's youthful crush upon her has long-lasting impact on the adult he becomes. But Billy is prone to "crushes on the wrong people." By which he means boys. As he matures, Billy discovers that he likes boys, girls, and has a real soft spot for transsexuals. Being a bisexual male is harder even than being a gay male; he finds that partners of both genders never fully trust him. And as he embarks upon relationships throughout his life, Billy despairs that any one person will ever meet all of his needs. Along the way, we meet Billy's friends, lovers, relatives, enemies, and passing acquaintances. Billy's reflections are not always linear, and people move in and out of his life and circle back around again. Some are gone but are never forgotten. Much of the novel focuses on Billy's coming of age and quest for sexual identity as he matriculates at the all-boys Favorite River Academy, the New England prep school where his stepfather teaches. Does that sound familiar? Many of the expected Irvingian tropes are present. Wikipedia keeps a handy chart of them, and those checked off for this book are: New England, wrestling, Vienna, deadly accident, absent parent, filmmaking/screenwriting, and writers. Alas, the only bears this time around are of the gay male variety. Surely the most affecting section of the novel deals with the AIDS crisis of the 80s and 90s. The storytelling is powerful, wrenching, and unforgettable. Countering that is the abundant humor found in other sections of this novel. In One Person may be Irving's most overtly comic novel in years. Much amusement is mined from life in Billy's hometown, First Sister, Vermont, and its thriving amateur theatrical group. The theatrical sections of the novel, while providing ample metaphors for the roles we find ourselves playing throughout life, also feature a riotous cast of characters--none more so than Billy's flamboyantly cross-dressing Grandpa Harry, who snags all the best female roles. Their production of The Tempest, in which Billy is notably cast as the androgynous (or "sexually mutable") Ariel, seemed like a direct homage to writer Robertson Davies, who Irving has long admired. (See Tempest-Tost (Modern Classics (Penguin)).) And that is but one of the many literary references liberally salted throughout the text. I see many comparing In One Person to The World According to Garp (Modern Library) and The Cider House Rules: A Novel (Modern Library), two of Irving's best novels, and I can certainly see the overlapping themes and reasons why. However, for me, this novel immediately brought back my favorite novel of all time, A Prayer for Owen Meany: A Novel. This is Irving's first novel since Owen Meany written in the first person. The voice of Billy Abbott is nothing like that of Johnny Wheelwright, and yet they both share the voice of John Irving which is utterly distinctive, and one that I shall never grow tired of reading.