I've been on the lookout for trans fiction that doesn't read as pure misery porn (Nevada and Detransition baby were both too much for me) so this sounds like a much happier medium for my mental state. Cool review and well earned dunk on the animal avatar truthism posters.
i think Persona is a LOT rougher than Nevada or Detransition Baby, I honesty can't recommend it if you felt that way... also rly curious as to why you considered Nevada specifically to be misery porn??
Ha well I could probably write a full-length essay about my relationship with Nevada, which I read a good 5-6 years before my egg cracked while mainlining Contrapoints videos, and that fact alone probably gives a good indicator of the amount of self-reflection I was capable of at that time lmao. But I guess specifically I don't do well with literature that feels to me like circling the drain of despair without a good, clear cathartic moment that brings it all into focus (which I feel Nevada lacked). Also, James' story in particular really metastasized an attitude of "good thing that's not me" in my brain (spoiler: it was basically me). So yeah, I should probably read it again at some point... but at that time it was an icky, uncomfortable read for me, and I fully appreciate the irony of that now.
thanks for sharing. I love contrapoints! i'm going to write something someday about how badly misunderstood she is. she was the only person who could explain transness me in a way that made me recognize myself in it. I read Nevada pretty early in trying to figure everything out, and I really appreciated the unvarnished perspective. I didn't need Maria to figure anything out. It was just like "ha ha, look at that crazy bitch having a nervous breakdown!" I suppose I was so hungry for the perspective of trans women that her emotional state didn't affect me. I just wanted to know what she thought about things. I do think the novel just kind of falls apart instead of properly ending, which is a bit disappointing. it was pretty obvious that transition was going to make my life harder and worse in a lot of ways, that there was a trade-off that was almost equal, whether you stayed in the closet or came out and transitioned. ultimately, I decided to transition as a matter of personal integrity, in a sort of existentialist way. but I'm actually grateful for these confrontational works of literature that say to the questioning egg, "this will not fix you." personally I really think you have to accept that before you start transitioning, and I think that's what those books are warning.
I've been on the lookout for trans fiction that doesn't read as pure misery porn (Nevada and Detransition baby were both too much for me) so this sounds like a much happier medium for my mental state. Cool review and well earned dunk on the animal avatar truthism posters.
i think Persona is a LOT rougher than Nevada or Detransition Baby, I honesty can't recommend it if you felt that way... also rly curious as to why you considered Nevada specifically to be misery porn??
Ha well I could probably write a full-length essay about my relationship with Nevada, which I read a good 5-6 years before my egg cracked while mainlining Contrapoints videos, and that fact alone probably gives a good indicator of the amount of self-reflection I was capable of at that time lmao. But I guess specifically I don't do well with literature that feels to me like circling the drain of despair without a good, clear cathartic moment that brings it all into focus (which I feel Nevada lacked). Also, James' story in particular really metastasized an attitude of "good thing that's not me" in my brain (spoiler: it was basically me). So yeah, I should probably read it again at some point... but at that time it was an icky, uncomfortable read for me, and I fully appreciate the irony of that now.
thanks for sharing. I love contrapoints! i'm going to write something someday about how badly misunderstood she is. she was the only person who could explain transness me in a way that made me recognize myself in it. I read Nevada pretty early in trying to figure everything out, and I really appreciated the unvarnished perspective. I didn't need Maria to figure anything out. It was just like "ha ha, look at that crazy bitch having a nervous breakdown!" I suppose I was so hungry for the perspective of trans women that her emotional state didn't affect me. I just wanted to know what she thought about things. I do think the novel just kind of falls apart instead of properly ending, which is a bit disappointing. it was pretty obvious that transition was going to make my life harder and worse in a lot of ways, that there was a trade-off that was almost equal, whether you stayed in the closet or came out and transitioned. ultimately, I decided to transition as a matter of personal integrity, in a sort of existentialist way. but I'm actually grateful for these confrontational works of literature that say to the questioning egg, "this will not fix you." personally I really think you have to accept that before you start transitioning, and I think that's what those books are warning.
Yesssssss