Pageboy

by Elliot Page

Audiobook

English language

Published by Macmillan Audio.

ASIN:: B0BBKN8QX7

(18 reviews)

Pageboy is a groundbreaking coming-of-age memoir from the Academy Award-nominated actor Elliot Page. A generation-defining actor and one of the most famous trans advocates of our time, Elliot will now be known as an uncommon literary talent, as he shares never-before-heard details and intimate interrogations on gender, love, mental health, relationships, and Hollywood.

6 editions

Flauschbuch reviewed Pageboy by Elliot Page

Difficult read but very moving

4 stars

It's a very tough read/listen in places because unfortunately, Elliot Page had to deal with a lot of emotional abuse as a kid/teen and queerphobia later on. It was truly shocking to me to hear about the attitudes in Hollywood not that long ago. The book conveys the struggles and the difficult journey of trans persons really well, in an almost tangible way. In the end, I found myself cheering along when Elliot finally gets his top surgery. On a sidenote, I also learned a lot about Canada and Canadian history.

Jaelyn reviewed Pageboy by Elliot Page

Review of 'Pageboy' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

> I was being told to lie and hide. It puzzled me to watch cis straight actors play queer and trans characters and be revered. Nominations, wins, people exclaiming, “How brave!”

> “Keep your personal life private, that is what I tell all my clients,” my manager would instruct me, while the same clients walked the red carpet with a spouse or came out as heterosexual in an interview. Being arm in arm walking down the street in paparazzi photos was a natural phenomenon, even encouraged for publicity.

This was a tough read but I’m finding it invaluable to read memoirs from other trans people. Elliot shares his battle with dysphoria in Hollywood and how ingrained the queerphobia and sexism is; but also the friendship and joy they have had on their journey:
> I was being told to lie and hide. It puzzled me to watch cis straight actors play queer and trans characters and be revered. Nominations, wins, people exclaiming, “How brave!”

> “Keep your personal life private, that is what I tell all my clients,” my manager would instruct me, while the same clients walked the red carpet with a spouse or came out as heterosexual in an interview. Being arm in arm walking down the street in paparazzi photos was a natural phenomenon, even encouraged for publicity.

Rainer reviewed Pageboy by Elliot Page

Elliot Page is fucking cool

5 stars

He's gone through so much hardship in his life just to reach a place where he feels a level of stability that I take for granted every day. It was an honor to read about his journey and to learn more about his life.

PeaceAndLove reviewed Pageboy by Elliot Page

Review of 'Pageboy' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Highly recommended! Each chapter is a story, but the book jumps around in time. It's not a linear story because it reads like somebody telling their story; some chapters could have started with "That reminds me of the time...". While I'm non-trans myself, I remembered some similar situations in my life when I was told to shut down my authentic self so other people wouldn't be uncomfortable, so those moments in his life really connected with me.

Some of it was tough to read, and I had to take a few breaks after particularly emotionally charged chapters, but because I knew he finds himself in the end, I kept coming back. It definitely highlighted for me how fast the world is (and isn't) advancing toward inclusion and acceptance. It's emotional, and sometimes heartbreaking; but in the end, Pageboy is a triumphant story of a boy who slowly learned to love …

benwerd reviewed Pageboy by Elliot Page

Review of 'Pageboy' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Raw, personal, and honest: a memoir of transition and survival by someone who has been in the public eye for most of his life but never really seen. There's no sanitized veneer to his writing, and my life is better for having read his story. I hope his life is better for having written it.