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First Person Plural
by Andrew W.M. Beierle
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$15.00 |
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$11.25 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. |
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$3.75 (25%) |
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Paperback
Publisher: Kensington
In this stunning novel, Andrew W.M. Beierle brings to life characters at once unthinkably foreign and utterly real. Frank and fearless, sexy and witty, First Person Plural is a masterfully rendered, powerfully imaginative work, as complex and as extraordinary as the bonds of love. Owen and Porter Jamison are conjoined twins inhabiting one body with two heads, one torso, and two very different hearts. As children, they're seen as a single entity--Owenandporter, or more often, Porterandowen. As they grow to adulthood, their differences become more pronounced: Porter is outgoing and charismatic while Owen is cerebral and artistic. When Porter becomes a high school jock hero, complete with cheerleader girlfriend, a greater distinction emerges, as Owen gradually comes to realize that he's gay. Owen, a reluctant romantic, is content at first to settle for unrequited crushes. Porter's unease with his brother's sexuality leaves Owen feeling increasingly alienated from his twin, especially when Porter falls in love with Faith, and Owen becomes the unwilling third side of a complicated love triangle. When Owen finally begins to explore his own desires, the rift grows deeper. As Porter and Owen's carefully balanced arrangement of give-and-take, sacrifice and selfishness, is irrevocably shattered, each twin is left fighting for his relationship--and his future--in a battle of wills where winning seems impossible, and losing unthinkable...
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| Thought Provoking |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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Excellent book. Makes you think about relationships in general. It is impossible to like Faith, good choice for a misnomer:)
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| Among the best gay fiction I have read |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I ordered this book with low expectations because i feared the cojoined twin premise was too much of a reach, but this book just entranced me with characters so real and a depth of emotion so honest that by the end of the book I felt I knew these people and loved them. Yes, the cojoined twin premise is a vehicle for all of this, and if you examine that too closely I tihnk it doesn't reflect reality, but that's not what the book is about. All at the same time, mixed together, you have in Porter and Ownen's relationship both a fulfillment of community, brotherly love and compassion that I feel many gay men crave, and at the same time the conflict that sexuality introduces into that, and a mirror for the "internalized homophobia" that many gay men feel splits themselves into two people. From another angle, Owen and Porter reflect a bit what it's like for a mature gay relationship, where sex is still a part of it (Owen and Porter by necessity have a sexual relationship with each other), but there's all these brotherly feelings that at the same time make their bond stronger from one side, but push them apart from the other, at the same time bound to each other in the strongest way, but also finding that total intimacy and connectedness repulsive in its own way. This is a book that I both enjoyed reading, and also thought about for weeks after finishing it. After I read the last page, I felt like two new friends had just been torn away from me, which I think is the ultimate invasiveness of an author, where he has cojoined his characters with your heart, and at a complete opposite to a cojoined twin, at the end you're left with just this void where these imaginary souls seemed to have touched your life. I don't know what more you can ask for.
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| A Thought Provoking Book |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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The story about conjoined twins Owen and Porter from Owen's point of view. It is a thought provoking and beautifully written study on what we perceive to be normal both physically and sexually. It challenges a reader to examine their beliefs on the duality of sexuality. I think this would be an excellent book to have in a book club or a discussion with High School students. I found when I finished it I wanted to talk about it with other readers.
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| This deserves a much wider audience! |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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One of the most common mistakes when considering books from Kensington publishers is to simply label the majority `gay fiction' and then ignore.
The truth of the matter is that there are some terrific writers who are overlooked due to the emphasis placed upon the sexuality of either the characters or the author.
I have recently read Andrew W.M. Beierle's novel `First Person Plural' and it's disappointing to think that so many people will not experience due to initial prejudices.
The lead characters in the book are twins; Owen and Porter. Both men are handsome, talented and athletic. Already it seems like your average `gay' novel with `perfect' men - no doubt with some trivial issues. However, Owen and Porter are not merely twins, but they are conjoined twins.
The story is narrated by Owen (the right-hand side) and we get a fascinating insight into the complexities of their lives being intrinsically and eternally linked together by their shared body. The twist in this tale (as opposed to Frank Whitaker's highly entertaining `Freak of Nature' which explores similar territory) is that Owen has to come to terms with his homosexuality.
The mesmerising nature of this novel makes the reader question preconceived notions, perceptions and prejudices on so many different levels. Through the eyes of Owen, we can learn to always try and see things from somebody else's perspective. Despite feeling as uncomfortable as Owen about his brother's wife's strong religious beliefs about homosexuality, there are times when you can totally gauge her issues and dilemmas and feel sympathetic towards her.
It is clichéd to describe a novel as `in turns funny, poignant and moving' but I feel myself drawn to a dignified and simple statement such as that.
It has been on my mind ever since I turned the final page and I recommend it to anyone who likes to have their beliefs and opinions challenged.
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| Opens Minds & Hearts |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I read this novel with a fair amount of skepticism and found myself going back to it and continuing to read and re-read. I must say that it was truly thought provoking and helped me to see many different sides of an issue. Life is not about one person's point of view but many involved points of view. There is much compromise, struggle, strife and the ability to truly listen to another person's positions. Ultimately it comes down to what makes you happy, makes your life more livable with all those that share your life with you.
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