Cherry Single: A Transvestite Coming of Age

Rating:
Summary: A Transvestite Bildungsroman
Review: "Cherry Single" is a novel written in the tradition of the bildungsroman. The main character, David Nunley, is a young single man trying to 'find himself' in 1970s San Francisco. His experiences on the road to self-discovery range from the mundane (a dull office job, disapproving parents, failed love affairs, strained friendships) to the unusual (transvestism, masochism) to the spiritual (transactional analysis, past life regression, Native American mysticism). Set against the political turbulence of 1971, David's story is a realistic portrait of a sensitive individual searching for a social, sexual, and spiritual identity. It is his closet transvestism that sets the tone for all of his interpersonal relationships and the novel's subtitle, "A Transvestite Comes of Age," reveals the true nature of his quest. As David learns about himself and integrates his experiences into a meaningful personal narrative (through his photojournalism), he confronts his transvestism head-on and ultimately embraces it as a valuable and integral part of himself.

Rating:
Summary: A Transvestite Bildungsroman
Review: "Cherry Single" is a novel written in the tradition of the bildungsroman. The main character, David Nunley, is a young single man trying to 'find himself' in 1970s San Francisco. His experiences on the road to self-discovery range from the mundane (a dull office job, disapproving parents, failed love affairs, strained friendships) to the unusual (transvestism, masochism) to the spiritual (transactional analysis, past life regression, Native American mysticism). Set against the political turbulence of 1971, David's story is a realistic portrait of a sensitive individual searching for a social, sexual, and spiritual identity. It is his closet transvestism that sets the tone for all of his interpersonal relationships and the novel's subtitle, "A Transvestite Comes of Age," reveals the true nature of his quest. As David learns about himself and integrates his experiences into a meaningful personal narrative (through his photojournalism), he confronts his transvestism head-on and ultimately embraces it as a valuable and integral part of himself.

Rating:
Summary: a great pleasure to read
Review: The main character is a quirky but very likeable individual. The story of his life and love brought tears to my eyes once or twice, but made me smile or laugh out loud many more times than that. Of course this is a serious story about serious questions of freedom and fulfillment in our personal lives, yet it is smoothly and lovingly told, and full of joy and humor. It was a great pleasure to read.