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A review by readerstephen86
I Want What I Want by Geoff Brown
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The first surprise was the simple existence of transgender fiction in the mid-1960s; the second, the relevance of so much of what is written. The mental journey of Wendy to self-actualisation takes in the physical and sensual pleasure of wearing women's clothes; the fears of others' perceptions; and questions on where to live, how to work, and the scope for transformative surgery. The word 'transgender' itself is potentially anachronistic as the tern is only used as a term on the new edition's cover. So too, Wendy does not overtly speak of self-actualisation, but the mental processes and habitual adaptations are likely to be familiar to many LGBT+ readers.
Inevitably, not everything has dated so well. The representations of women and men offer stark gender stereotypes of northern Britain. So too, pre-legalisation disgust at homosexuality indicates how 'LGBT+' as an umbrella term may have been unrecognisable for the separate underground movements at the time, as each struggled for social legitimacy. I didn't take offence, however, not least because the sharp bursts of self-defensive homophobia felt realistic depictions of how trans women might have sought to deliniate a more contemporaneously acceptable niche for themselves in the precarious identity politics of the times.
Fascinating enough, stilted in parts of its dialogue, typically bleak in places, and still worth a read for Pride Month (or better still LGBT History Month). I'd recommend pairing with 'Detransition, Baby' by Torrey Peters (or similar) for a more self-assertive 21stC take on the issues. Read the latter second, and while you'll see lots of parallels, you'll also see how far we've come.
Inevitably, not everything has dated so well. The representations of women and men offer stark gender stereotypes of northern Britain. So too, pre-legalisation disgust at homosexuality indicates how 'LGBT+' as an umbrella term may have been unrecognisable for the separate underground movements at the time, as each struggled for social legitimacy. I didn't take offence, however, not least because the sharp bursts of self-defensive homophobia felt realistic depictions of how trans women might have sought to deliniate a more contemporaneously acceptable niche for themselves in the precarious identity politics of the times.
Fascinating enough, stilted in parts of its dialogue, typically bleak in places, and still worth a read for Pride Month (or better still LGBT History Month). I'd recommend pairing with 'Detransition, Baby' by Torrey Peters (or similar) for a more self-assertive 21stC take on the issues. Read the latter second, and while you'll see lots of parallels, you'll also see how far we've come.