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hayliosreads 's review for:
Frighten the Horses: A Memoir of Transition
by Oliver Radclyffe
‘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.