Book Details
Title: Pageboy
Author: Elliot Page
Genre: Memoir
Year Published: 2023
Synopsis: 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.
My Review
I would describe myself as an Elliot Page mini-stan. I loved Juno and as a stan of everything Gerard Way has ever touched, I loved The Umbrella Academy. However, I missed the memo on Page witting a memoir because I'm pretty sure I first heard about it the day it was released. Fast forward to me walking to the checkouts in Target the next day and spotting Pageboy on an endcap and immediately purchasing it. I don't think I have ever made the decision to purchase a book so quickly before, and I read it the first chance I got.
Now, memoirs are a funny thing. Nobody wants to shit on someone sharing their experience, so when a memoir isn't the greatest thing you've ever read it tends to put you in a weird position. When I read through some GoodReads reviews after I finished the book, I found a lot of people were having this struggle. Because of this, I want to clarify right now that none of my problems with this book has anything to do with Page's real life experiences and struggles.
I actually really appreciated a deeper look into Page's life & the treatment that he experienced as an actor. It was very real and I felt like it solidifies the fact that the world treats LGBT people poorly. Pageboy didn't feel like I was reading about some celebrity that hasn't had the conflict that us ordinary people understand. There were several moments that I related to personally or I've know someone who had a similar story. Now, don't get me wrong, a few times I was reading about Page's response to things, specifically him disappearing for a month, where I thought, "must be nice," but Page was quick to acknowledge his privilege, and I appreciate that.
My only main complaint (along with a lot of the other reviews I read) was the writing itself. It's jumpy, it's confusing at times, and it felt lacking at other times. The jumpiness of the nonlinear timeline doesn't work well in Pageboy's case until about half way through. Before then, it takes a lot away from the story Page is trying to tell. I was that bothered by it to be honest because Page is an actor and not a writer. People don't have to be perfect at everything.
Now, what did bother me was the lack of self-exploration. Page has clearly done a lot of this in his personal life, and I was really looking forward to hearing more in depth analyses on gender and sexuality in our society from him. I wanted more in depth discussions and advocacy. Page has been an icon for LGBT rights for a while now, but Pageboy feels like he's holding out on that. Page's gender was chalked up to I like wearing boy clothes therefore I am boy and I was a little disappointed. I know it's more than clothes, and I know Page knows it's more than clothes. Part of me wonders if he wrote his memoir too soon. Pageboy feels as if Page isn't yet comfortable in talking about his transness in detail, and it does the community a disservice in my opinion.
Obviously Page is free to disclose any details he wishes to disclose, but a lot of the feelings and emotions aspect of his memoir felt timid.
I would recommend Pageboy to anyone not familiar with the challenges LGBT people face or anyone who is a fan of Elliot Page.
My Rating: 4/5
Have you read Pageboy? Tell me your thoughts in the comments.
