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tildahlia's review against another edition
4.0
I can confidently say I am nowhere near as smart as Lavery, as truly so many of the references in this book (literally, biblical or otherwise) went right over my head but I nonetheless loved the humour and creativity of this book so much. He'd probably hate to know I loved the transition/memoir content the most - particularly his ambivalence around transition and identity as a man (loved the joke of trans men being men, but good). Lots of laugh out loud moments and furiously underlined passages. Danny Lavery is a gem.
epaulette's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.75
4.75 instead of 5 only because some of the obscure references that I didn't get. An amazing memoir that made me laugh AND cry
charlieblablub's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
curiousslam's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
Although I enjoyed the humor in this book, I found it very difficult to read. The narrative style is confusing with a lot of references to religion and historical literature that I don't have prior knowledge of. It does feel like an honest and authentic recount of Ortberg's experience of gender, I just wish it wasn't written so pretentiously.
coleycole's review against another edition
4.0
Mixed feelings, but overall, a beautiful "memoir adjacent" book. The Toast-style interludes are hit and miss for me, depending on how I feel about the source material (Anne or Green Gables comes out as a trans man? Here for it. King Arthur and the Green Knight and... not my bag). The entire book is beautiful still, and a beautifully done look into his life pre/mid/post transition. Highly recommend the audiobook.
saranies's review against another edition
5.0
I received this in a Goodreads giveaway from the publisher.
I loved this book. It was funny and poignant. I did think this was going to be a more traditional memoir and was hesitant, but instead it was a series of chapters and interludes that accurately reflect Daniel Ortberg's ongoing internet presence. If you've read and enjoyed anything Daniel Ortberg has written before, you'll definitely want to read this. There are a few chapters/interludes that appeared in his newsletter, but most are new. Humor is interlaced with very serious essays about his transition. An interlude that is about how his failure to parallel park in front of a man was what triggered his transition immediately precedes a very serious chapter on him realizing that he was trans and how that played out with his childhood memories of being a girl. There's still humor within that chapter, but the gravity of what he writes adds a depth to the levity that comes before.
Something that I find particularly awe-inspiring about Ortberg is his ability to use quotes and passages from the bible and classic works of philosophy. He always manages to put a fresh spin on what he mentions and makes me want to engage in both the source material and his essay more than I did before. It's truly something to have such breadth and depth of knowledge—not many writers out there can effortlessly skewer Cosmo headlines from the 90s, write Dirtbag Sappho poems, and carefully analyze biblical passages.
Weirdly, parts of this also reminded me of Carmen Maria Machado's "Her Body and Other Stories," especially the short story that is told through Law and Order recaps. Ortberg's book is more optimistic, but both think about how living in a human body is a unique kind of horror.
In case anyone asks, I can't pick a favorite essay, but the one on Kierkegaard and Hans Christian Andersen is up there. I also agree with Grace: Umbrellas are tools for the selfish and it would be better for everyone if we all had and used rain jackets and boots.
I loved this book. It was funny and poignant. I did think this was going to be a more traditional memoir and was hesitant, but instead it was a series of chapters and interludes that accurately reflect Daniel Ortberg's ongoing internet presence. If you've read and enjoyed anything Daniel Ortberg has written before, you'll definitely want to read this. There are a few chapters/interludes that appeared in his newsletter, but most are new. Humor is interlaced with very serious essays about his transition. An interlude that is about how his failure to parallel park in front of a man was what triggered his transition immediately precedes a very serious chapter on him realizing that he was trans and how that played out with his childhood memories of being a girl. There's still humor within that chapter, but the gravity of what he writes adds a depth to the levity that comes before.
Something that I find particularly awe-inspiring about Ortberg is his ability to use quotes and passages from the bible and classic works of philosophy. He always manages to put a fresh spin on what he mentions and makes me want to engage in both the source material and his essay more than I did before. It's truly something to have such breadth and depth of knowledge—not many writers out there can effortlessly skewer Cosmo headlines from the 90s, write Dirtbag Sappho poems, and carefully analyze biblical passages.
Weirdly, parts of this also reminded me of Carmen Maria Machado's "Her Body and Other Stories," especially the short story that is told through Law and Order recaps. Ortberg's book is more optimistic, but both think about how living in a human body is a unique kind of horror.
In case anyone asks, I can't pick a favorite essay, but the one on Kierkegaard and Hans Christian Andersen is up there. I also agree with Grace: Umbrellas are tools for the selfish and it would be better for everyone if we all had and used rain jackets and boots.