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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
I feel bad because I LOVE Daniel. I just don’t think his writing style in this book is for me. It felt uneven and all over the place, going between a narrative about transitioning (which I was super interested in!) and seemingly random stories in between that I couldn’t make heads or tails of, whether I’d read the source material or not. Again I love Daniel and I think this book is for a particular subset of readers who enjoy this style.
If you remember the the author's work from The Toast, you'll have a some idea of some of what you're in for here: lots of literary references and reimaginings, plus some deeply introspective musings, often through the lens of classic literature, the Bible, or pop culture. It reminds me of nothing so much as hanging out and listening to conversations between some of my friends — people who are super smart, often irreverent, and definitely better-read than me, but not in a pretentious way. Those kinds of conversations and this kind of writing are among my favorites because even if I don't always understand what's going on, I get enough of it to mostly keep up, and I always come away feeling entertained and maybe a touch more informed than before. I will say, I didn't always feel like I understood what the author was trying to say with every piece here, and a couple parts seemed dull or even a little pointless, but the short chapters made it a very easy read, even when I was feeling a bit lost, and I certainly found myself sympathizing and/or cracking up with laughter with some frequency. Definitely worth the read.
Transition had not always been true of me, but I found that the more place I allowed it in my life, the further back it cast its roots.Daniel Mallory Ortberg's Something That May Shock and Discredit You blend of theology, popular culture and gender serves as a witty memoir of his transition.
Ortberg's (recently changed to Lavery) book is dense with allusions and intertextuality, with entire interludes dedicated to Greek gods and Arthurian knights. As much as these chapters fluctuated in relation to trans-ness, so did my understanding of them (meaning: though amusing like the passage about Sir Gawain, I sometimes struggled to discern their meaning). It was interesting, however, to see how biblical texts can be interpreted and re-imagined, like so many people (including Ortberg) do with popular culture to (for lack of a better word) head-canon a trans (here: T4T) or other queer narrative.
Obviously, Ortberg's own life stories about transitioning in his thirties, the nuances of transition and all it entails (from hormones, to neck acne, to top surgery), and the reconfiguration of relationships surrounding it all. All the while, the book keeps its levity up, and I can only guess how many people might see themselves represented in Ortberg's musings.
Overall, it is an engaging text that goes beyond simply talking about Ortberg's transition, and instead encompasses a scope of texts and films you wouldn't necessarily look for in this context. Only 4 stars because I'm a dumb hoe who struggled with certain interludes because of a lack of background information for them.
I'm too type A to be able to cope with the huge jumps from poetic short stories to memoir-like accounts of Ortberg's transformation. I need one or the other in succession and in order. Would've liked more of the latter; I did appreciate the bits and pieces this book provided though.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Not sure how to rate this collection of essays. I swung between being intrigued or extremely perplexed, which made for a difficult read.
I enjoyed a subset of these essays, especially the contemplative ones where Lavery mulls over his thoughts, emotions, and uncertainty around the change in his life, with his transition as the most prominent subject.
For the remainder of the essays, I am too obtuse and ignorant of the classics, any pop culture before the 90s, the Bible, and trans culture to understand Lavery’s humor or his use of literary parody. Far too much went over my head.
The “Dear Prudence” podcast on Slate was, while it was still being hosted by Danny, my favorite of all podcasts. While offering answers to other people’s tough issues I always appreciated the bits of his own life insights that he was willing to share. I was excited to pick up this book as it offered two backgrounds: one a familiar recollection of being raised uncomfortably evangelical (the book opens asking “Did you ever come home as a child thinking the rapture had happened?”) the other an unfamiliar experience of Danny discovering his trans identity in his early thirties.
It’s a fun and a quick read though I’m not sure I’m not sure it’s the best introduction to Lavery if you aren’t already familiar with his work. The heartfelt bits of his own history are mixed in with “interludes” of absurdist essays which felt similar to the style of David Sedaris. The interludes made the book feel less like a through line narrative and more like an epic video game. The guiding mission is clear from the beginning but Lavery is unafraid to have fun with a handful of side quests along the way.
It’s a fun and a quick read though I’m not sure I’m not sure it’s the best introduction to Lavery if you aren’t already familiar with his work. The heartfelt bits of his own history are mixed in with “interludes” of absurdist essays which felt similar to the style of David Sedaris. The interludes made the book feel less like a through line narrative and more like an epic video game. The guiding mission is clear from the beginning but Lavery is unafraid to have fun with a handful of side quests along the way.
This book is a combo of genres. Essays? Weird literary re-imaginings? Memoir-adjacent, for sure. a bizarre script from a sort of hellish, abstract version of House Hunters? indeed.
I could do without all the biblical parts, and i'm just not up on all the classics so i don't feel like i'm in on the joke with that stuff, but the rest of it: Daniel Lavery and I feel very similarly about Duckie from Pretty in Pink, and we would both comport ourselves similarly if we were to one day have abs. And now that I know about his theory of "T for T energy", i have been rewatching a lot of Addams Family and Steve Martin movies, and just reveling in some completely new perspectives.
I could do without all the biblical parts, and i'm just not up on all the classics so i don't feel like i'm in on the joke with that stuff, but the rest of it: Daniel Lavery and I feel very similarly about Duckie from Pretty in Pink, and we would both comport ourselves similarly if we were to one day have abs. And now that I know about his theory of "T for T energy", i have been rewatching a lot of Addams Family and Steve Martin movies, and just reveling in some completely new perspectives.
If you miss Danny’s writing for beloved website The Toast, you’ll find much to love here. Not every essay resonated with me - that Columbo bit went on way too long - but the overall arc of introspection, wry humor, and literary references was moving and profound. The many Biblical reflections are especially poignant given Danny’s public conflict with his pastor father since writing this.
funny
reflective
fast-paced