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4.41 AVERAGE
4.41 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
In Frighten the Horses, Radclyffe shares the story of his coming out: first as a lesbian, then as trans. He is honest, presenting his own experience, as well as the reactions of those close to him. Radclyffe does have a level of privilege that may be unrelatable for most readers, but I would still recommend this book to any reader.
Thank you, Grove Atlantic/Roxane Gay Books and Netgalley, for an advance ebook in exchange for a fair review.
Thank you, Grove Atlantic/Roxane Gay Books and Netgalley, for an advance ebook in exchange for a fair review.
‘Frighten the Horses’ is the memoir of Oliver Radclyffe’s transition after decades of questioning and struggle. It is full to the brim with a range of emotions from gender euphoria to heartbreak; allowing the reader to stay engaged and follow the story a lot deeper than other books, which do not introduce emotion at all into the story.
The narrative is an immersive experience as we are taken through Radclyffe’s life and his transition journey, allowing it to be reflective as well as an intense read in some parts, creating a complicated story, which is a challenging read. This is the case especially if you resonate and relate with any part of it. As a queer woman, I understood some of the challenges faced throughout the memoir, though it also gave a lot of insight and knowledge into the process of transitioning such as the dysphoria one feels, as well as phantom limb sensations, and dealing with masculinity.
This book is an opening into someone’s journey, so it almost feels like a privilege to know so much about someone’s life and feelings; especially through a life-changing experience like this. Radclyffe includes the majority of his family in the story, showing how compassionate some of them are, and showing the negativity of his ex-husband. It is never over the top or dramatised in a fashion, to create an eccentric storyline to keep the readers engaged; it is a realistic read, where we see all the insecurities, all the sadness, and all the relatable emotions that allow us to feel connected to the author, whether we relate to the main focus of the story.
Overall, I would say I enjoyed reading this memoir from an educational perspective. Agreeing with what someone else mentioned in their review; Radclyffe describes real people with mental health issues as ‘demented’ when referring to ‘the demented hoarders in E.L. Doctorow’s Homer and Langley.’ This is not language that felt acceptable, especially coming from a person who has been through so much and should understand what being called names – especially negative connotations – can do to a person.
I also felt I was probably not the right main audience for this book however educational I found it. I probably would not read it again, and for these reasons, I will be giving it 3/5 stars.
The narrative is an immersive experience as we are taken through Radclyffe’s life and his transition journey, allowing it to be reflective as well as an intense read in some parts, creating a complicated story, which is a challenging read. This is the case especially if you resonate and relate with any part of it. As a queer woman, I understood some of the challenges faced throughout the memoir, though it also gave a lot of insight and knowledge into the process of transitioning such as the dysphoria one feels, as well as phantom limb sensations, and dealing with masculinity.
This book is an opening into someone’s journey, so it almost feels like a privilege to know so much about someone’s life and feelings; especially through a life-changing experience like this. Radclyffe includes the majority of his family in the story, showing how compassionate some of them are, and showing the negativity of his ex-husband. It is never over the top or dramatised in a fashion, to create an eccentric storyline to keep the readers engaged; it is a realistic read, where we see all the insecurities, all the sadness, and all the relatable emotions that allow us to feel connected to the author, whether we relate to the main focus of the story.
Overall, I would say I enjoyed reading this memoir from an educational perspective. Agreeing with what someone else mentioned in their review; Radclyffe describes real people with mental health issues as ‘demented’ when referring to ‘the demented hoarders in E.L. Doctorow’s Homer and Langley.’ This is not language that felt acceptable, especially coming from a person who has been through so much and should understand what being called names – especially negative connotations – can do to a person.
I also felt I was probably not the right main audience for this book however educational I found it. I probably would not read it again, and for these reasons, I will be giving it 3/5 stars.
A thoroughly engaging read about a topic mostly foreign to me. Really takes the reader with him, as his journey unfolds almost like a mystery that drops clues along the way until it is "solved". Very humbling that he took us on this very personal journey.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced