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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
rating memoirs is weird so just 5 starring to increase the gr average! this was so insightful, definitely interesting to read more about the medical transition process
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I rarely read autobiographical books, but I really enjoyed this one. Through emotional and detailed accounts, Juliet brings her experiences to life with references to people, places, film music and literature, and you really get to know her personally. I learned about gender dysphoria, an area about which I previously didn't know much. The academic in me also enjoyed the frequent references to trans theory.
I liked getting the chance to see the process Jacques's transition took in the UK. I was particularly interested in the NHS's coverage and process and its differences between processes of insurance companies in the US. I found myself skimming sections though, especially those that felt tediously disconnected from Jacques's experience. This felt like one part memoir, but two parts "how to struggle as a writer in the UK."
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Juliet Jacques writes so beautifully and honestly, I highly recommend this book to anyone!
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
Trans: A Memoir by Juliet Jacques 🏳️⚧️
🌟🌟🌟✨
feat. my fav t shirt from @starttodaytattoo
🏳️⚧️ The concept: In July 2012, age 30, Juliet Jacques underwent gender affirming surgery. It was, in many ways, the culmination of the long transition process she'd chronicled in an online column for the Guardian newspaper, but it was also the start of a new phase of her life as a trans woman. Trans: A Memoir is her story of growing up in a hostile culture and trying to find herself within art and music, exploring the difficult journey to being recognised as yourself.
This book has been on my shelf for ages and I'm so glad I finally read it! Coming to it in 2022, it's hard not to see Jacques' account of coming of age as a queer person in early 2000s Britain as a strange counterpoint to the current moment. On the one hand, there are more queer and trans voices making their way into mainstream culture than Jacques saw growing up; on the other, trans rights and the scant resources available for those wanting to transition are under increasing attack.
The memoir is written in matter-of-fact prose that coolly breaks down many common misconceptions around being trans, for instance that it relies on exaggerated gender roles. It also offers an unflinching look into the (already arduous, threatening to become more so) transition process in the UK. While she calmly breaks down ignorance around gender nonconformity, Jacques also offers extraordinary generosity to the people around her, exploring the thorny parts of socially transitioning with empathy for her past self and her friends and family as well as lifting up moments of euphoria.
Some of my favourite moments were Jacques' sharp analysis of the films and music that impacted her, for instance films by Pedro Almodóvar, but what stopped this being a higher-star read for me is simply the style. I like memoirs to be vivid and really conjure the feeling of a person's life, and while this was clear and informative I didn't find it immersive, but that's just my preference speaking I think!
🏳️⚧️ Read it if you don't like flowery memoirs, and if you want some insight into what it means to medically transition in the UK, trans history, film criticism, and gender exploration.
🚫 Avoid it if you are avoiding medical content right now, or if you want memoirs to have a more vivid writing style.
🌟🌟🌟✨
feat. my fav t shirt from @starttodaytattoo
🏳️⚧️ The concept: In July 2012, age 30, Juliet Jacques underwent gender affirming surgery. It was, in many ways, the culmination of the long transition process she'd chronicled in an online column for the Guardian newspaper, but it was also the start of a new phase of her life as a trans woman. Trans: A Memoir is her story of growing up in a hostile culture and trying to find herself within art and music, exploring the difficult journey to being recognised as yourself.
This book has been on my shelf for ages and I'm so glad I finally read it! Coming to it in 2022, it's hard not to see Jacques' account of coming of age as a queer person in early 2000s Britain as a strange counterpoint to the current moment. On the one hand, there are more queer and trans voices making their way into mainstream culture than Jacques saw growing up; on the other, trans rights and the scant resources available for those wanting to transition are under increasing attack.
The memoir is written in matter-of-fact prose that coolly breaks down many common misconceptions around being trans, for instance that it relies on exaggerated gender roles. It also offers an unflinching look into the (already arduous, threatening to become more so) transition process in the UK. While she calmly breaks down ignorance around gender nonconformity, Jacques also offers extraordinary generosity to the people around her, exploring the thorny parts of socially transitioning with empathy for her past self and her friends and family as well as lifting up moments of euphoria.
Some of my favourite moments were Jacques' sharp analysis of the films and music that impacted her, for instance films by Pedro Almodóvar, but what stopped this being a higher-star read for me is simply the style. I like memoirs to be vivid and really conjure the feeling of a person's life, and while this was clear and informative I didn't find it immersive, but that's just my preference speaking I think!
🏳️⚧️ Read it if you don't like flowery memoirs, and if you want some insight into what it means to medically transition in the UK, trans history, film criticism, and gender exploration.
🚫 Avoid it if you are avoiding medical content right now, or if you want memoirs to have a more vivid writing style.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Dysphoria
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault