She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders
The provocative bestseller She’s Not There is the winning, utterly surprising story of a person changing genders. By turns hilarious and deeply moving, Jennifer Finney Boylan explores the territory that lies between men and women, examines changing friendships, and rejoices in the redeeming power of family. Told in Boylan’s fresh voice, She’s Not There is about a person bearing and finally revealing a complex secret. As James evolves into Jennifer in scenes that are by turns tender, startl
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Charlotte’s Feathers
A young man named Benjamin Strong has just lost everything after the death of his parents and girlfriend. After a failed suicide attempt, Benjamin wakes up to find an angelic version of his girlfriend, Charlotte, sitting by the edge of his bed. She tells him that he has seven days left to live- and that he has a very important decision to make: Die alone, or take all of humanity with him.
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A Bittersweet Memoir, At Least For Me,
Jennifer Finney Boylan has written a tremendously moving and sometimes funny account of her transformation from male to female. (At one point she opines about taking speech lessons from a Hungarian voice specialist: “‘Great,’ I said. ‘So I’ll talk like a Hungarian woman.’”)She is obviously a fine writer and reading her story is quite effortless. For me this is a bittersweet memoir because of all the anguish that Ms. Boylan’s transformation causes, particularly for the wife Grace, who comes across as being terribly decent and loving. (I do not mean to imply that Boyland is not decent and loving, quite to the contrary.) Grace expresses her feelings about all that is going on very poignantly: “You asked me if I thought this was necessary, and yes, I do. I think it’s taken incredible bravery and courage for you to be the person you need to be, and I’m not going to stand in the way of that. I would never keep the person I love from being who she needs to be. But I can’t be glad for you, Jenny. Every success you’ve had a a woman is also a loss for me.”
Both Jennifer and Grace are brutally honest in how they feel; at times I found their honesty almost too painful to read.
But shouldn’t everyone have a friend like Richard Russo! What a supportive and thoroughly caring person he is. Boylan’s best friend, he writes a warm and loving afterward to this story.
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|A good book on a complex subject,
I went into reading this book with more then a bit of skepticism, having seen other examples of transgender people telling their story fall short of what I have known and experienced (yep, I am a transgender M to F myself). Anyway I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Ms. Boylan writes with a grace and a style that made the book easily readable and one for me that I wanted to read, rather then had to read.
Some people might criticize the relatively light tone she takes with some of the darker issues she had to face (like a disapproving sister) but after reading so many doom and gloom tales that over emphasize that side, this was a breath of fresh air.
As someone like Ms. Boylan who is going through transition as a family (with some differences in terms of family dynamics) I can say that the emotions she writes about, her and of those around her, if lightened up, are real. Her spouse deals with this differently then many spouses would, for sure, but the pain and the hurt expressed is true in my experience. Likewise, the uncertainty of people around a transitioning person is portrayed very well here, especially in the relationship with her friend Richard Russo. I am glad that Jenny made the point that not only is the person transitioning, so are the people around them.
I also would like to comment on some of the other reviews, who imply that Jenny “glossed over” the pain of her family, or implied she was some sort of typical middle age man just “doing his own thing”. I suspect if she glossed over the raw emotions it was to protect her family and their privacy, not about trivializing them. As far as this being some sort of middle age crisis and a ‘choice’, forget it. As someone who is there, I can tell you it is no choice when someone transititions at this age (or later), by then it is do this or perish as a person.
I recommend this book to all readers, no matter of who they are. It is well written, and I think it serves as a gentle and informative (though not complete) portrayal of a complex subject and of someone finally becoming themselves.
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|Interesting and entertaining!,
Jennifer Finney Boylan’s book offers a look into the true story of the life of a transgendered person. In it she recounts her struggles to be male, all the while feeling inherently female in the wrong body. As a mismatched mind and body, the author gives the reader a sense of the confusion that results, that is, until the day James realizes that, he would be happier if he became a woman. From childhood through adulthood, including marriage as a man to a woman and fatherhood, Ms. Boylan takes the reader through the process of hormone therapy and surgery to become Jennifer, all the while gently and lovingly working through the bumps of taking longstanding relationships along for the ride.
Boylan presents her life story with sensitivity, warmth and humor making it a very good read. I recommend this book for its entertainment value and the opportunity it presents to educate the reader about this little known condition.
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|Knocked it out of the park.,
First off, let me begin by introducing myself as an 82 year old agnostic. I am appaled by the review that basically gives away the story because it goes against his religion. Although he is entitled to his opinion, this is a free country after all, his review reeks of bigotry and a lack of general understand of the human condition. Now, onto Charlotte’s Feathers, I find that with each new relase Matthew improves greatly in his capacity to tell a meaningful and heartfelt story.
This book is written in such a way that for the seven days in the story, you live the character. You know at every moment what he is thinking, as Benjamin contemplates whether or not the human race deserves to continue, you are involved in his every thought and every reason. At first I confused as to how a situation could even present itself as a problem to anyone. Wanting to end all life is pretty drastic, but by the time I was near the end of the book I contemplated the same thoughts that Benjamin did. The twist is an amazing aspect that adds so much to the story that it makes you rethink every moment, all the way to the beginning of the book and spoiling it for anyone else seems just petty and wrong. It robs the reader of a very unique experience.
My opinion is, give the book a chance. It might just change the way you think about things.
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|wrong,
This is one of those books one will either love or hate according to one’s personal beliefs. Even more peculiar is that such love or hate will be decided in the last few pages when the final plot twist takes place and all the events are finally put in perspective.
“Is humanity worthy of salvation?” is the basic question.
I hated it intensely and wanted to award one star to it at first, but such decision would have been based on ideological reasons only and I thought that it would have been unfair.
This novella is actually well written, especially in its first half, and quality remains good up to 80%, when it begins to draw to its conclusion and writing somehow loses focus.
Action takes place in the timespan of a few days with several flashbacks.
Writing is fluid and it never drags despite the rather heavy theme. It is no mean feat and it makes clear we are faced with a real writer.
Up to a.m. 80%, when the author still has not directed the plot where he wants it to go, this book will probably be appreciated by many. Ben’s pain feels real, easily relatable. He is a fully rounded character, not some sort of cardboard figure created to prove a thesis.
I cannot discuss the main philosophical issue further because I would be giving the ending away and that would be serious in a work so determined by its conclusion.
I will only say the author’s solution, which I loathe, will surely please those readers who are blind to facts.
One thing that I can discuss without spoilers is that having Ben realise in the last 20% he has been “selfish” is really cheap.
Ben, as he is described, is no more selfish than everybody else and he has no real responsibility for the sufferings of the people he loved. If anything he is a better person than most. To this intolerably nonsensical assumption is due my final rating.
On a side note I shall point out that there are a couple of typos and some mistakes, a strange thing for such a carefully written work.
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|Very emotional read-Another great novel by Mr. Fish,
“Charlotte’s Feathers” is a novel about finding the importance in one’s life, and how one can make a difference in the world through the choices that they make. When losing someone dear, you often lash out at the world and often want to commit suicide and bring everyone down with you. I’m a religious person, a Christian to be exact, and I quite enjoyed this novel. No need to give any details away, but I felt that any controversy that could be made from this novel can be easily ignored. I looked at this book for its deeper meaning, rather than looking at things on the surface, and I feel the message of this book can be accepted by anyone who is religious or non-religious. Mr. Fish has written another excellent novel that has the usual ability to make me laugh, to make me laugh, and to make me cry. I suggest for everyone to read this book. It’s a great pick me up with a great central message in it.
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