Reviews tagging 'Deadnaming'

The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

5 reviews

robinks's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

3.25

As a disclaimer: I think this book would’ve come across better in print format instead of audiobook. Some of the formatting and content felt disjointed in audio. That being said, I had a hard time figuring out what this story was trying to communicate, though it did bring up some good questions about blended families for reflection.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Stalking, and Transphobia

Moderate: Death of parent, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Sexism

Minor: Cancer and Abortion

lottiegasp's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

This is a beautifully written memoir of Nelson's relationship with her trans partner Harry, her stepson and their new baby. As a queer feminist in what can be mistaken as a heteronormative family, Nelson explores issues of gender, queerness, feminism, family and motherhood.

I thought it had really interesting perspectives about being queer, feminist and shunning societal norms while cherishing love and family. Rightfully so, a lot of feminism focusses on empowering women and genderqueer people to be single and child-free, to not be stuck in unfulfilling and unequal relationships, and to find and cherish love elsewhere. But for people who do seek and find love through their romantic partner and children, I think it is important to consider how to do these things in a way that does not simply reinforce the hetero status quo. This is something Nelson grapples with, while portraying how she and Harry have approached things.

At some parts in the middle I found the writing and references to other scholars a bit dense. Nevertheless, I overall appreciated the rich, aesthetic literary writing style, which is perhaps more common in fiction than memoirs.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Medical content, and Sexual content

Minor: Transphobia and Deadnaming

There are explicit descriptions of consensual sex. And detailed description of pregnancy and labour. There are some brief descriptions of transphobia, but the book focusses much more on trans joy. The author deadnames her partner once, presumably with his permission. There is a gutwrenching description of a parent dying, which is beautifully written but very sad.

o3tri's review

medium-paced

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Cultural appropriation, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexism, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Cancer, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Transphobia, Homophobia, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Stalking, Fatphobia, Ableism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry

garynoplastie's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Stalking, Transphobia, Medical content, Grief, Deadnaming, and Infertility

Minor: Alcoholism

suspicious_salmon's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Pregnancy

Moderate: Dysphoria, Medical content, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Transphobia, and Infertility

Minor: Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, Excrement, Grief, Deadnaming, Addiction, Miscarriage, Stalking, and Terminal illness