This book on transgendered relationships was very interesting. I really enjoyed it. The plot, however, was a bit predictable, but the characterizations struck me as realistic. And I thought that the rather delicate subject matter was handled well. The detail on the surgery was a little - well, more than a little - graphic, but it was an important part of the story, even if it was not for the squeamish. I think Bohjalian is a very talented writer and I really enjoyed this book!

I discovered Trans-Sister Radio, and its author, Chris Bohjalian, entirely by accident after stumbling across this book in a junk store in almost near-perfect condition priced at a dollar. When I saw the cover of the book and read the title, I was sure I'd hate. "Trans-Sister Radio" continues to be one of the worst titles for a book I've ever encountered, even if I understand that the pun has more layers to it than I immediately suspected (at the time, the only apparent one was the obvious "trans" pun, which didn't amuse me, and, in fact, seemed positively juvenile). Aspiring writers, please take note: a decent title can mean the difference between a reader purchasing a book or sitting it back on the shelf. I have no doubt I would not have paid the high retail price for a book that was apparently so inconsequential to the novelist that he used a sophomoric pun as a title. "TRANS-Sister Radio;" ha-ha-ha. Anyhow, the title struck me first, and probably colored my perception of the cover art, which is a strange photo of a nude woman's feet. She's holding a flower in-between two of her toes, and you can tell she is nude because her feet are covering her out-of-focus butt. Or is that someone else's butt her feet are somehow propped up on? No matter. The whole thing struck me as fetishistic. I had no doubt that the book was nothing short of sensationalist smut meant to smear transsexuals, but since the book was in such fine shape and was only a dollar, I figured I'd buy it and sell it.

Well, earlier this week, I unpacked a box I hadn't touched in awhile and discovered that I'd not sold this. Having nothing else to read, and spurred by the kind of morbid curiosity that leads me to watch Jerry Springer, I decided to crack open the book and see how long I could last.

Well, color me shocked. This is definitely one book that you shouldn't judge by its cover.

The entire book is centered around the gender-transition of Professor Dana Stevens, and it manages to be simultaneously character-oriented, focused, AND suspenseful. The book is structured around four alternating viewpoints, and the author manipulates this device alongside others (several small instances of effective non-chronological storytelling, for instance) to build suspense. I do not know if Mr. Bohjalian has any experience in writing magazine serials, but he is also excellent at creating non-artificial cliffhangers (usually through some bit of foreshadowing, and all of the events in this novel are being related to us from some future point in time by all of the characters, I presume). It has been a long time since I've felt the bleary-eyed joy of having read a book for seven hours and continuing to say to myself "just one more chapter, and that's it," as it it were a mantra, knowing I'd read to the end of the section (the novel is organized into five sections), and sometimes beyond, even as I would have to fight an onslaught of sleepiness in order to do so. I read at a very deliberate pace and will often linger on individual words, sentences, or passages for long periods of time when I find something to be well-written or thought-provoking before I continue (I feel speed-reading to be an absolute crime when one is dealing with quality literature). Most 300-400 page novels that I only find moderately interesting will take a month for me to read, as I'll read in small bursts before going on to something more interesting. It was this quality of mine which lead me to spend a week reading this, rather than one or two days. Needless to say, it takes a very engaging novel for me to read in seven-to-nine hour bursts. This book has reawakened some of the joy I felt when reading Dostoyevsky, or Salinger: the joy of reading about interesting people. This is not to say that there aren't any number of clever plot-based novels that I have enjoyed immensely, but I find it is only a good character-driven novel which can engage and hypnotize me so.

The characters all have very distinct personalities and voices, and most of the relationships are handled expertly. The dynamic between Allison and Dana is especially well-done (although I am unsure how cissexuals who have never entered a relationship with a transsexual will react to it: I can see it as potentially baffling to them). The character psychology is honest, especially when it comes to Dana. I think a lot of his research was probably on the mentalities of transwomen regarding their predicament, because Dana rings VERY true-to-life.

One aspect of the novel I enjoyed was the seeming benevolence of the author himself. The whole book is colored by a sunny optimism, even when things become rough for the characters. There is pain and loss here, but is always seems as if it is being viewed from some higher plain. You never get the sense that any character is beyond salvation, and even the most vicious bigots seem to be viewed with a sympathetic, if sad, smile. It is hard to describe, but the impression of the book I get is that it is, on a very fundamental level, life-affirming.

I do have some caveats about it aside from the title. Even though the author did some excellent research on this novel, there are a few points of Dana's transition that concern me. One that stuck out is that Dana never seems to attend any sort of therapy. Professional therapy, I mean. She attends a support group for awhile, but no therapist of any sort is ever mentioned. It is very possible for a transwoman to find her hormones from black market sources, but she seems to be legally transitioning from all the other details we're allowed. Who wrote her recommendation letters for Gender Reassignment Surgery? She didn't go to some unsanitary chop-shop in Bangkok, after all. There is no way a legitimate surgeon who is experienced in this sort of thing would proceed without the proper documentation required by the standards of care. Another bit that comes off as incredible is how she manages to spend only three weeks on the Real Life Experience. Why was she even doing the RLE if she didn't have a therapist?

I also have some problems with the way certain storylines end. Without revealing too much, there's a problem with a lack of closure for a major character near the end of the book. Also, a prominent secondary character just drops out 3/4 of the way through without much explanation. I don't like the way the author treats some of the characters who drop out of frame.

Normally, this would make me drop a star, but two things keep me from doing this:

The emotional honesty of Dana's character. No other piece of fiction I've encountered has so well explored the psychology of the transsexual.

and

The sheer engagingness of it. This has taught me to love reading fiction all over again.

For these two things, it gets five stars.
I am definitely going to read his other novels now.

I read this book for my local book group. The story is told from the perspective of four individuals; Dana, Allison, Carly, and Will. Interspersed throughout the story are transcripts from a radio talk show interview between Carly and other characters within the book.

The book begins with Carly explaining the impact of her parent's (Allison and Will) divorce. Will remarried but was often accused of holding a torch for Allison. Allison was a grade school teacher and was taking courses at the local college; Dana was her professor. Dana, an attractive yet effeminate man, quickly caught Allison's attention and they quickly entered into a relationship.

A few months into their relationship, Dana reveals to Allison that he was born into the wrong body and is contemplating gender reassignment surgery. Though overwhelmed by this shocking news, Allison's love for Dana has grown beyond her rational control and she vows to remain by his side throughout his journey to become who he truly wants to be. The rest of the book centers around the perceptions of others and the struggles and complications the couple must face due to societal beliefs and prejudices.

This book was well-written, as is the power of this author to transform mere words into a work of art. However, the ending and "revelations" were predictable, which was highly disappointing to me knowing the abilities of the authors writing style. This book explores an extremely controversial topic in a manner that instills a sense of compassion in the reader for the characters within the book.

This story also instigated much conversation between me and my friends. I could not stop thinking about these people and their story. This work of fiction reads as a memoir and poses certain important yet debatable questions. The biggest question of all throughout this account is: can love transcend gender? Before you form your final opinion and answer to this question...read this book. Make sure you have all sides of any story before settling on a position. Enjoy...this is a book that will make you think and question all your previously held beliefs and ideals.

This was an interesting, sympathetic, insightful look at a "world" that I and perhaps most people) knew very little about prior to picking the book up. The significant differences between people of different cultures, nationalities, religions, lifestyles, etc. only serve to shed light on how ultimately similar we homosapiens all are to each other, most especially in matters of the heart.

A lot of corny emoting and boring conversations. The transsexual subject matter was the most interesting/intriguing part of the book. The characters and plot were borderline anemic. I was frustrated when some of the conversations seemed to go on and on. The town conflict was what kept me reading. I wish it were better.