IN ONE PERSON

by John Irving

John Irving is an incredible writer—I don’t think many readers would debate that fact. However, I found In One Person failed to hold my attention like his other novels. As in many of Irving’s books, In One Person paints an intimate portrait of a man—this time a young man exploring his bisexual “crushes” at an all-male boarding school in Vermont in the early 60s. But unlike The Cider House Rules or A Prayer For Owen Meany, I didn’t feel like the meandering pace was successful. The narrative jumps all over the place in time, which makes it hard to ever fully feel any urgency to find out what happens next. Many people might enjoy this book. But, despite repeated efforts to engage, I just found that it was not my cup of tea. (Lily)