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4.51 AVERAGE
4.51 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Listening to Hannah makes the experience so much more powerful as well as comforting!
slow-paced
I find it hard to sum up my thoughts on Nanette - like the show, there were parts that were emotionally gut-wrenching, as well as parts that were lighthearted and funny. The pace was a little slow at the beginning but that’s slowgold for you (iykyk).
Overall, I enjoyed spending time in Hannah Gadsby’s head to see how the thinking gets done – in particular, I found the aspects regarding ADHD and Autism very relatable.
I also liked that Hannah was reticent with details when a story belonged to someone else.
AuDHD quotes
On loving structure
Overall, I enjoyed spending time in Hannah Gadsby’s head to see how the thinking gets done – in particular, I found the aspects regarding ADHD and Autism very relatable.
I also liked that Hannah was reticent with details when a story belonged to someone else.
AuDHD quotes
On loving structure
I loved [school]. I loved the structure of it. Every day I knew exactly where I had to be and what I had to do and if I didn't, I was safe in the knowledge that someone would tell me. For a kid like me who was completely devoid of naturally occurring initiative, school was heaven.
On fantasising about jail
I'd had intermittent fantasies about going to jail since I was a teenager. It was a thing I did whenever I was sliding into suicidal ideation. In my mind they were interchangeable ideas. I knew my idea of what it meant to be in prison was naive and one-dimensional. I knew it wasn't real; a place where every day was the same and all the decisions of my life were made by other people. There would be no taxes, no bills, no rent, it would be acceptable to hang posters on my wall as an adult, and for some reason that really appealed to me. I didn't want to go to jail, I just wanted to check out.
On being medicated for ADHD
I had been treading water my whole life, and twenty minutes after I took my first dose of prescribed Ritalin I realised I was in the shallows and that I could just stand up.
On getting a diagnosis
But as soon as I had my diagnosis, the thrill of it all but disappeared, replaced by a grief that was way too big for any metaphor I can think of. I had always worked under the impression that I would eventually find my way to the starting line of normal, but after I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, I saw that not only was that not true, but I most likely had a very warped sense of what normal actually was. I felt sick for weeks.
On alexithymia
I am unable to intuitively understand what I am feeling, and I can often take a much longer time to process the effects of external circumstances than neurotypical thinkers. But it is they who get impatient with me, and under that pressure I feel forced to guess my needs before I have had time to process stuff in my own way, and so mistakes are made. I can be cold and not know it. I can be hungry and not know it. I can need to go to the bathroom and not know it. I can be sad and not know it. I can feel distressed and not know it. I can be unsafe and not know it. You know how, when you put your hand under running water and for a brief moment you don't know if it is hot or cold? That is every minute of my life.
On medical research for women
It was clear that the cutting edge of medical science was not going to cut through my trauma in my lifetime, because the cutting edge never seems terribly concerned with the biological specifics of autistic women, or any women for that matter.
Other relatable quotes
You may well laugh at the absurdity of wanting to be a dog, but I have grown up to become an incredibly successful one. I am a very trusting adult with devastatingly simple needs, I like being told I am good, I'm distressed by loud noises, I always feel much better after a walk, and I am very easily bribed with the promise of food.
I'm always fine eventually. I just find it incredibly difficult to cope with change.
I still climbed into my cupboard from time to time.
I can be very efficient under very particular circumstances.
First, to be clear, I’m a huge Hannah Gadsby fan. I thought the Nanette stand-up special on Netflix with nothing short of revolutionary. Her follow-up Douglas which I saw live was proof to me that she is a truly gifted comedian that could do more than traumatize you like Nanette did. (Not that Nannette truly traumatized me but it definitely landed it’s gut punches as intended.)
Second, I’m a gay man who grew up in a small rural town in the middle of America in the 1980’s and 90’s, so while I avoided the level of trauma that Gadsby experienced, I came from a familiar frame of reference.
So, 10 Steps to Nanette in audiobook form, was a welcome and fulfilling listen to help understand the genius that is Hannah Gadsby and how she was able to create the miracle of Nanette. I understand those that don’t comprehend Nanette as “comedy” but this book helps explain why that is. She even admits as much. But she is so charming, intelligent and quirky that I find it hard to believe that anyone could come away from this audiobook not appreciating her as an artist. She pulls no punches and she has earned that right. Her brutal candor is refreshing and hilarious. I would love to meet Ms. Gadsby one day but I fear I would not impress her much but to be in the presences of such witty, genius would be quite a gift. I suppose seeing Douglas live and listening to this audiobook will have to be enough which I think will suit her just fine. And that’s ok. I feel lucky to have listened to this audiobook and I recommend it to anyone with half an intellect to do the same.
Second, I’m a gay man who grew up in a small rural town in the middle of America in the 1980’s and 90’s, so while I avoided the level of trauma that Gadsby experienced, I came from a familiar frame of reference.
So, 10 Steps to Nanette in audiobook form, was a welcome and fulfilling listen to help understand the genius that is Hannah Gadsby and how she was able to create the miracle of Nanette. I understand those that don’t comprehend Nanette as “comedy” but this book helps explain why that is. She even admits as much. But she is so charming, intelligent and quirky that I find it hard to believe that anyone could come away from this audiobook not appreciating her as an artist. She pulls no punches and she has earned that right. Her brutal candor is refreshing and hilarious. I would love to meet Ms. Gadsby one day but I fear I would not impress her much but to be in the presences of such witty, genius would be quite a gift. I suppose seeing Douglas live and listening to this audiobook will have to be enough which I think will suit her just fine. And that’s ok. I feel lucky to have listened to this audiobook and I recommend it to anyone with half an intellect to do the same.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
emotional
funny
I loved this book. I became a fan of Hannah Gadsby after listening to a podcast interview where they taught me (without meaning to) a lot about my foster daughter. I watched two of their standup specials that week and was all in.
Nanette = So powerful!
Douglas = So hilarious!
To be fair though, even if I weren’t a fan, this book would get five stars. It’s raw and captivating, and I learned lot about Tasmania too. They have used their life (and they’ve been through it) and now their platform to become a voice for equality and inclusion and respect. I plan to watch Nanette again now that I know some of its history.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced